October 16, 2020 - The Pandemic & Early Voting
The Pandemic & Early Voting
October 16, 2020
As autumn marches on, the COVID-19 storm continues to gather strength throughout the country, especially in Big Ten states like Illinois (5,103 daily cases), Wisconsin (3,861), Minnesota (2,290), Indiana (2,283), Michigan (2,206) and Ohio (2,123). It’s not just there. Southern states like Texas (5,559), Florida (3,449) and North Carolina (2,284) are seeing a rising tide of cases.
Here, in Alabama, a second wave is growing more gradually, but no less relentlessly. Today, there were 1,212 cases (incl. 147 probables) and only 7,108 tests. The one-day positivity rate for the State was 17% and our average positivity rate over the last 7 days now stands at 15.08%, the first time we have crossed that threshold in over a month. There are now 20 counties with weekly positivity rates above 20% and only 4 counties with rates under 10% (Mobile County has the lowest positivity rate of 8.97%).
Hospitalizations continued to slowly rise as well, increasing from 844 yesterday (107 reporting hospitals) to 859 today (108 hospitals). The deaths of 30 more of our fellow Alabamians were reported today. Our 7-day rolling average now exceeds 17 per day for the first time since Labor Day weekend.
There are 18 days before Election Day and the pandemic has opened the door to early voting in our State for the first time ever (the deadline for registering to vote is this coming Monday, October 19). According to guidance issued by the Secretary of State, any voter who is concerned about COVIID-19 may vote absentee either in-person or by mail by simply checking the box that reads, “I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls.” https://www.sos.alabama.gov/newsroom/secretary-state-issues-new-guidance-absentee-voting-november-3-general-election
If you are considering casting your vote by absentee ballot, I encourage you to do so in-person, rather than by mail. To vote in-person, the process is easy. You simply go to your county’s absentee ballot location during normal office hours and fill out an application form. You will then be handed a ballot, you vote and your vote will be notarized before you depart. This eliminates the risk of making a potentially disqualifying mistake or depending on timely mail service. Here is the link with the addresses of all county absentee ballot locations: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/city-county-lookup/absentee-election-manager
Numerous counties, including the most populous ones, have announced plans for in-person absentee voting on two Saturdays in October from 9 a.m until 1p.m., starting tomorrow (October 17 and October 24). Jefferson, Mobile, Madison, Montgomery, Shelby, Dallas, Macon, Perry, Greene, Marengo and Sumter counties are among those expected to provide for such early voting. If you are aware of others, please share such information in a comment below. The daily totals:
10/3 - 1682
10/4 - 789
10/5 - 544
10/6 - 764
10/7 - 941
10/8 - 557
10/9 - 1490
10/10- 1061
10/11 - 816
10/12 - 734
10/13 - 1117
10/14 - 784
10/15 - 1185
10/16 - 1212