The Coronavirus concerns as turned away many poll volunteers.
Voter turnout for the Presidential Preferential Primary Election is expected to be around 20%
VIRUS.ARIZONA AND ILLINOIS ARE ALSOSET TO CAST BALLOTS TODAY.TODAY WE’LL SEE HOW MUCH THECORONAVIRUS WILL IMPACT THEPOLLS HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.ACROSS OUR STATE, COUNTIES ARESAYING... THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGHPOLL WORKERS.AND THAT’S JUST THE START OF HOWCOVID-19 HAS IMPACTED THEPRESIDENTIAL PRIMARJESSICA ALPERN LIVE FROMPRECINCT 106 IN CAPE CORAL THISMORNING, WITH THE LATEST.SINCE POLLS OPENED AT 7, WE’VESEEN DOZENS OF VOTERS FILTERINGIN AND OUT...BUT NO LARGE CROWDS.THAT’S WHAT WE WERE TOLD TOEXPECT BY BOTH THE GOVERNOR ANDSUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, AMIDCORONAVIRUS CONCERNS.ACROSS THE STATE, COUNTIES HAVEBEEN SCRAMBLING TO MAKE SURELOCATIONS LIKE THIS ARE FULLYSTAFFED.AFTER HUNDREDS OF POLL WORKERSDECIDED THEY NO LONGER FEELCOMFORTABLE WORKING, DUE TO THEOUTBREAK.THE LEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR OFELECTIONS OFFICE CONFIRMS IT’SEXPERIENCING A SHORTAGE OF 350POLL WORKERS.ACCORDING TO OUR SISTER STATIONIN TAMPA, PINELLAS COUNTY ISEXPERIENCING ALMOST THE SAMESHORTAGE, WITH STAFFING ISSUESALSO REPORTED IN POLK,HILLSBOROUGH AND HERNANDOCOUNTIES.HERE IN LEE AND COLLIERCOUNTIES... WE’VE SEEN A NUMBEROF PRECINCTS MOVED ANDCONSOLIDATED.A NUMBER OF THE MOVES INRESPONSE TO THE GOVERNOR’SEXECUTIVE ORDER REGARDINGOUTBREAK RISKS AT ASSISTEDLIVING FACILITIES.OVERALL -- IT’S FORCED COUNTIESTO DO EMERGENCY TRAINING TO GIVEOTHER COUNTY WORKERS A CRASHCOURSE ON WORKING THE POLLS.MANY WILL BE WORKING AN ELECTIONFOR THE FIRST TIME.WITH A NUMBER OF THE SEASONEDPOLL WORKERS WHO’VE SINCE QUITCITING THEIR AGE AND THERECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE C-D-CFOR WHY THEY NO LONGER FEELCOMFORTABLE WORKING.SOTVO (SOUND FROM MIANA’S PKGLAST NIGHT):"in all honesty, some of thosepolling places are working shortand their working 2 to 3 peopleless than they normally would"TRISH ROBERTSON// COLLIER COUNTYBOARD OF ELECTIONSMEANWHILE -- OTHER STATES LIKEGEORGIA AND LOUISIANA HAVEPOSTPONED THEIR PRESIDENTIALPRIMARIES.BUT GOVERNOR DESANTIS HASINSISTED HE DOESN’T WANT FLORIDATO PANIC.HE SAYS MOST VOTES HAVE ALREADYBEEN CAST THROUGH EARLY VOTINGAND MAIL-IN OPTIONS, WHICH HEBELIEVES WILL LIMIT LARGECROWDS.AND HE ADDS THAT POSTPONING THEELECTION WOULD SIGNAL QUOTE --THAT "WE ARE PARALYZED."DESPITE CONCERNS... WE ARE TOLDSEVERAL PRECAUTIONS ARE BEINGTAKEN TO KEEP YOU SAFE A
Lee County sees drop in turnout due to COVID-19
