Election Day is upon us, and the millions of Americans who haven’t cast their ballots early will be showing up at the polls on Tuesday to vote for either Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
But if you have only just learned that you have COVID-19, or you are still quarantining because you were recently exposed, can you still vote in person?
This is a pressing question on Election Day as coronavirus cases continued to rise in 42 states as of Monday, with the U.S. averaging 82,812 new cases a day over the past week. And considering some absentee and early voting deadlines may have already passed (look up your state rules here), the only other option some voters face is heading to a poll site on Tuesday.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that registered voters still have the right to cast their ballots, even if they are sick or under quarantine. “CDC’s recommendations for isolating someone who has COVID-19 or quarantining someone who was in close contact with a person with COVID-19 would not preclude them from exercising their right to vote,” a spokesperson told MarketWatch by email.
The CDC has laid out its guidance for voting safely during the pandemic, which includes voting while infected with COVID-19, on its website here.