Tazewell County election authorities are taking extra steps to ensure all voters can cast a ballot, despite challenges posed by the coronavirus.
Clerk John Ackerman said some nursing homes and other care facilities have restricted access and mobility for residents. One polling place in Tazewell County was already moved.
Ackerman said they're making accommodations for those instances.
"Any senior citizen that doesn't have the ability to leave their facility to place a vote — even though vote by mail is closed now — if they call our office, we will find a way to deliver a ballot to them."
Ackerman said additional accommodations will be made at polling places for people who are too ill to go inside.
"We have offered for a number of years now vote by car, which is if somebody is disabled [or] not able to physically get into the pulling location, they can drive up to the polling location, notify somebody inside and two election judges will bring the ballot out to their car so they can vote from their car," he said.
Ackerman said to only use the vote by car service if absolutely necessary as it is resource intensive.
He said his office is also providing polling places with hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, especially those without access to handwashing stations.
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