Pandemic or not, many Missouri residents will be voting on local issues in elections on Tuesday. Gov. Mike Parson told those voters to put their personal safety first.
“I hope people feel safe to go out and vote,” he said. “But if they don’t, the number one thing is their safety. So, if they don’t, then don’t go out and vote. But I hope people feel safe enough to go out and vote. Those elections are important. They’re important for what happens down the road as we all see right now what elected officials on the local level are doing.”
Parson says he believes election workers are well prepared to help prevent voters from getting the coronavirus. He mentioned Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a fellow Republican, making visits last week to election authorities across the state. “I think they’re going to make that as safe as anywhere else you go in the state of Missouri,” Parson said.
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Ashcroft’s office said the secretary of state delivered nearly 17,000 face masks and 17,000 face shields, more than 500 gallons of sanitizer, 1,200 8-ounce pump bottles of hand sanitizer, 16,000 posters advocating physical distancing and more than 40,000 bright yellow floor strips to set distancing expectations.
“We have been working for months to secure the supplies that local election officials need to ensure the safety of our upcoming elections,” Ashcroft said. “ Delivering these supplies to each of our 116 local election authorities the past two weeks provided a great opportunity to speak personally with them. You can have a different kind of conversation when you’re face to face. I also wanted to personally thank the county clerks, because they are working very hard to keep your elections running smoothly.
“I want Missouri voters to know that we are working together on the local, state and federal levels to take every precaution to make voting safe and streamlined in the upcoming elections.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
