Scott County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Roxanna Moritz announced Monday that she is asking the Scott County Board of Supervisors for spending authority to mail absentee ballot requests to county voters ahead of the June 2, 2020 Primary Election. She said that she is seeking this authority to reduce in person voting in an effort to combat spread of COVID-19.
She said she would be making that plea at the Supervisor’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, March 17.
“We cannot call off or postpone the election, but we can take steps to limit the public’s exposure to the coronavirus,” Moritz said. “Encouraging people to vote by mail-in ballots will limit the number of voters at the polls and thereby limit exposure. While we can’t mail ballots directly to voters we can send them request forms and then mail ballots once voters return those requests,” she said.
Moritz said she was motivated to take a proactive approach and help ease public concern. “We can provide ballots to those who want to vote but also ease their concerns about going to the polls and who want to limit their exposure,” Moritz said.
An additional concern, she said, is protecting precinct officials. “The average age of poll workers falls within the age range where COVID-19 presents special dangers. Having poll workers get sick from COVID-19 will discourage people from what is essentially a volunteer position. The long term effects would very damaging for recruiting and retaining workers,” Moritz said. “Besides, I personally care for the County’s poll workers and want to keep them safe.”