JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 2020 Presidential General Election is a little more than a month away, but doctors are urging voters to plan ahead to stay healthy.
Some Florida physicians are urging people to vote by mail if possible or to at least vote early during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Voting by mail without leaving home may be the safest way to cast a ballot," said Dr. Mona Mangat, an immunologist and allergist.
Many First Coast residents are taking that advice to heart.
Duval County Chief Elections Officer Robert Phillips calls the requests for mail-in ballots "unprecedented."
“We’ve mailed out more than 150,000 already, which is a huge number for us," Phillips said. "Normally it would be starting off around 60,000 or 65,000. We’re already more than double what we would normally see for a general election.”
Doctor Bernard Ashby, a cardiologist, says one benefit of early voting is you can choose from multiple polling locations.
“The ideal polling location would be something that’s open air, properly ventilated, and has as little amount of people as possible without folks talking loudly without masks on," Ashby said.
The doctors say if you do vote in person, you should take several precautions. That includes using sanitizer before and after you vote, wearing a mask, bringing your own pen, and trying to stay at least six feet away from other people.
Early voting begins October 19th in Florida. The last day to register to vote is Monday, October 5.