Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Election Polling Locations
Unisyn recommends a three-step approach to preventing the spread of acute respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and the flu in election polling locations. The first and most important step is to provide voters, election officials and poll workers with a means to clean their hands. Whether it is using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, clean hands dramatically reduces the spread of germs.Recommend Hand Cleaning Method
Post signs in the bathroom or handwashing stations to remind voters to wash their hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds and to dry their hands thoroughly prior to using the voting equipment. If the polling location does not have a handwashing station, hand sanitizer with at least 65% alcohol must be made available. The hand sanitizer should be placed in an obvious and easily accessible location such as the registration desk.NOTE: Do not handle thermal paper or ballots after using hand sanitizer or other disinfecting wipes as chemicals may degrade legibility.
The second step is to clean the visibly dirty surfaces of the voting equipment. Cleaning does not kill all the germs, but it does decrease the number of germs present and reduces the risk of spreading a virus.
Recommended Cleaning Method
Clean the entire terminal, and its peripherals, by wiping with a soft cloth dampened with a mild detergent solution to remove any dust or fingerprints. Follow this with bleach-free household disinfection wipes to disinfect the equipment.- Equipment Case – Clean the case with a slightly damp cloth and mild detergent. Only clean the external areas of the terminal, DO NOT clean any of the internal components. Do not use the mild detergent cleaning solution on any of the exposed areas of the printer.
- Touchscreen – Clean the display using a soft, clean microfiber cloth and water, IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), or Hexane. Do not use ketone type material (such as acetone), ethyl alcohol, toluene, ethyl acid or methyl chloride to clear the panel. These substances may permanently damage the touchscreen.
- Keypad – Use a damp cloth to clean the keypad. Use a cotton swab lightly moistened with water to clean around keys.
The third step is to disinfect the voting equipment using bleach-free household wipes.
Recommended Disinfecting Method
Disinfecting the equipment will not remove all the germs on surfaces, but it aids in killing the germs that remain on a surface after cleaning and further reduces any risk of spreading infection. Use bleach-free household wipes to disinfect the voting equipment each time they are used. If necessary, wring excess liquid from the wipe, it should be damp not heavily saturated with cleaner.Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/election-polling-locations.html
March 16, 2020 11:45 am
Categories: News
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