A state directive has allowed for the disabled and the homeless to vote in person Tuesday. Those who fall in either of those categories, the latter specifying those that do not have a home or mailing address, will be the only ones allowed to do so.
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However, election boards must issue a provisional ballot to any voter who submitted a request for an absentee ballot before Saturday, April 25, have not received it and can prove the request was made.
Jason Baker, the director for Clark County’s BOE, said those voters are asked to call his office at 937-521-2120 and will be able to complete a ballot in person Tuesday at the board’s office, at 3130 E. Main St.
In Champaign County, those voters will have the opportunity to fill-out a provisional ballot, said its BOE Director Meredith Bodey. The Champaign County BOE office is located at 1512 S. U.S. Highway 68.
Members of the BOE in Clark County will be stationed outside of their office to collect ballots by voters who have already received one and completed it but have not been able to submit it. Baker said they have put a plan in place on how to collect those ballots from those in their cars while also alleviating traffic outside of the building.
In Champaign County, there is a drop box outside of the BOE office for those ballots, which have to be submitted no later than 7:30 p.m.
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Clark and Champaign Board of Elections offices will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
In terms of in-person voting, both Baker and Bodey say they are taking extra precautions as well as following social distancing rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes equipment spread out six-feet from each other as well as limiting the number of people allowed in the voting area at one time.
In Clark County, only 17 voters are allowed in the BOE office at one time with an additional five allowed in the absentee voting area. In Champaign County, only two are allowed in the BOE’s voting room at one time.
The Clark County BOE has mailed out a total of 15,672 absentee ballots and as of Saturday have received 11,804. However, Baker said they have received about 1,000 more on Monday. In Champaign County, 5,801 ballots have been mailed out and 4,571 have been received as of Monday afternoon.
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