The Secretary of State issued an emergency procedure last week that enables those who are sick with COVID-19 or at higher risk due to the illness to be able to cast their ballot despite the fact that the period for requesting an absentee ballot has passed.
The guidance also allows for anyone in the state who is confined because of risk, exposure or quarantine order because of the respiratory illness to be able to cast a ballot in the final 24 hours of the election.
Alex Curtas, communications director for the Secretary of State’s office, said that if the voter goes through all the steps, they can still cast their ballot Tuesday. He also said the guidance is applicable to voters who have been told by a health care provider that they are at higher risk for COVID-19.
Any individual who is sick with the virus or confined because of it or at higher risk of complications can request a provisional paper ballot by submitting a completed GE2020 Emergency Voting Affidavit.
An equivalent written request signed by the voter and a health care provider under penalty of perjury is also acceptable, according to the order.
The voter must provide the completed affidavit or written request to the county clerk in person, by email or by mail. The voter must then mark the provisional ballot, place it in the identification envelope, fill that out, sign it and return it to the county clerk no later than 7 p.m. on November 3.
The county clerk will count the ballot once they have determined that the eligible voter did not cast any other ballot and no challenge is successfully interposed.
