The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the absentee voting system in Shelby County. Following a lawsuit, voters can now select a mail-in ballot if they want to avoid polling sites to protect their health. Linda Phillips, the Shelby County Election Commission's administrator, says as a result her team is processing more mail-in ballots than ever.
Phillips joins this week’s WKNO-TV Behind the Headlines with host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries. They talk about the other ways the Election Commission has adapted the voting system during the pandemic. Phillips says voters can expect new safety protocols at polling sites including disposable pens, lots of hand sanitizer and protective plexiglass barriers to keep poll workers and voters separated.
Wrapping up, the guests compare previous years to the upcoming general and presidential elections.
Listen to the audio version of "Behind the Headlines," broadcast on July 31, 2020
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