Coronavirus Update, October 30, 2020
Looking at the local COVID-19 caseload, the latest update as the time of our 6 p.m. broadcast indicates that there are 10 additional positives, and 3 new recoveries. According to Tompkins County health department, that leaves 77 active cases of COVID-19 in Tompkins.
In Schuyler County, there are 5 new cases of COVID-19 reported as of Friday, according to their Health Department. 32 active cases remain. The Health Department notes that the new cases were contacts of prior cases. Two of them have been tied back to a recent family gathering. Another is a student at Watkins Glen High School. They reportedly attended class one day while they were potentially contagious, and all exposed students and staff will isolate.
A New York State law allows anyone who voted by absentee ballot to vote again in-person, which results in their absentee ballot vote being cancelled. This is beneficial for anyone who changes their mind in terms of their voting decision, reports the Albany Times Union. The law does not work both ways, an absentee ballot sent in after a person votes in person will not invalidate that individual’s in-person vote.
Election officials have stated that switching an in-person vote with an absentee ballot does an extra step to the vote verification process, but the officials have said that they are willing to put in the additional work.
COVID-19 has exponentially changed the voting process and the amount of work that election boards do in New York State. They have had to account for the record amount of absentee ballots requested, and the record amount of early voting locations. Some Election boards in New York State have announced the expansion of early voting hours.
Early voting in New York for the general election wraps up on Sunday November 1st.
Voters do not have to have a specific reason to vote early, as long as they are registered. For more details about how to vote early in-person visit wrfi.org/2020elections.
Contributing writing by WRFI News Intern Christian Maitre