DES MOINES, Iowa -- During the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, Iowa's Secretary of State is asking younger, healthy people to work in polling places during the June 2nd primary election.
"We have a lot of community activists who are involved in their churches or other groups in their communities. This is a very important way they can help us in making sure our elections are safe, and that they happen" says Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate.
He says, traditionally, polls workers tend to come from older age groups that are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Pate says while his office has asked Iowans to vote from home in the primary, there are still people who prefer to go to their polling places.
"There are going to be a lot of folks still coming out to the polling sites. We want to make sure we give them a safe opportunity to vote, and we don't want lines. The only way you can avoid lines to have enough poll workers so we have enough stations" he says.
Pate says face masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and social distancing markers will be provided at polling places.
He says more information on becoming a poll worker can be found at pollworker.iowa.gov