Early voting started this Tuesday, and a day before that on Monday, preparations were made at the American Airlines Center in Dallas to make the venue as safe and sanitized as possible. Masks are required for entry, social distancing markers have been put up, voting machines are spaced six feet apart, and hand sanitizing stations are set up. Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole, had some thoughts on all this in a quote from CBS DFW in an article published on October 12th, in it he says: 

“To prevent voters from touching the same screen, the county will provide each one with a stylus to make their selections. Voters can also opt to bring their own.

In 33 years with Dallas County, Pippins Poole has never seen an election like this one. ‘Very stressful,’ she said, laughing. ‘You know, they really don’t give you instructions on an elections during a pandemic.’ ”              

              Early voting will go from October 13th to October 30th. Pippins-Poole also suggested that voter turnout is expected to be greater than usual based on the traffic on their website and also all the emails and phone calls they’ve been receiving seem to show a spike in voting interest. Laura Granado, summed it up best in an article from Fox 4 published on October 11th, in it he says: 

“ ‘We want our voters to feel safe while they are voting and casting their ballot,’ said Laura Granado, early voting manager, Dallas County Elections. Parking at the mega center is free and curbside voting will be available for those who can’t go inside.”

          You can take the curbside voting option if you’re extra cautious of close contact in an enclosed space during a pandemic, and if you don’t have the means to get to the Dallas AAC polling station or others, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit will be providing free rides to voters. For more info, visit this website.