New Research Suggests In-Person Voting May Be Less Risky Than Previously Thought

[kindy64]

The "EXPERTS" say voting in person is less risky... other, non-peer reviewed experts say it is risky.

Take proper precautions and do absentee if you are in an at risk population, or think it's so risky.

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/21/904739776...ly-thought

A peer-reviewed study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health concludes that in-person voting in Wisconsin's April 7 election by more than 400,000 electors did not produce a detectable surge there in coronavirus cases.

In that report, researchers from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health call the Wisconsin election "a large natural experiment" for better understanding the coronavirus transmission risk.

The team found that hospitalizations in Wisconsin for COVID-19 cases "steadily declined throughout April," dropping from a high of 101 on April 3 ”” four days before the election ”” to a low of 14 on April 18, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

There were 71 people, that agency reported in mid-May, who did test positive for the coronavirus who had either been poll workers or voted in person in Wisconsin's balloting.
[img=80x0]https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/06/12/ap_20161562127998_sq-8ee49a8ff795d52daff30098bd87eefd0a5846f5-s300-c85.jpg[/img]
But the study noted that many of those cases involved people who had been exposed to the coronavirus in situations unrelated to voting. Even if they had been infected at voting places, the authors said, the number of cases relative to the overall number of in-person voters suggests that such voting involved a "fatality risk of driving an automobile approximately 140 miles."

[InbetweenDreams]

Funny thing is that I have been approached to work at the polls on election day...which I normally work. I do think there would be more risk for people working the polls since they're there the entire time. Overall the risk is going to come down to how much time you spend inside a building around other people and whether you're wearing a mask or not.

@"kindy64" Do you think COVID-19 will be easier to transmit during the winter months? I haven't looked to what information is available on that subject but that could play a factor.