Adoption of strategies to mitigate transmission of covid-19 during a statewide primary election - Delaware, September 2020

The Delaware Department of Elections reported that 177,529 persons cast ballots during the 2020 primary election, nearly twice the number who voted during the 2016 primary (94,039) (4). Among all persons who cast ballots, 101,135 (57%) voters cast ballots in person on election day in 2020, compared with 89,280 (95%) voters in 2016 (4). Poll workers serving during the 2020 Delaware primary election included a large proportion of persons at increased risk for severe COVID-19-associated illness, with 42% aged >65 years and 59% having at least one underlying medical condition. The age distribution observed among survey respondents was similar to that of poll workers in Delaware during the 2016 general election, when 45% were aged >61 years (5). Population-based surveillance data suggest similar prevalences of underlying medical conditions among survey respondents and adults in the general population for most common conditions (6). Ongoing efforts to recruit younger poll workers might reduce the proportion of poll workers at risk for severe COVID-19-associated illness.