Thread by @kgosztola

Days ago, I co-organized petition w/ @notclimatebrad to call attention to heightened health risks to voters & poll workers if in-person voting occurred during #COVID19 pandemic.

Over 1,600 people, including 100 medical professionals, have signed:
medium.com/@kevin_33184/o…

Thread.

Officials in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, & Ohio, as well as Democratic National Committee, are well aware of concerns raised by medical professionals and dozens of voters.

At this point, @SecretaryHobbs, @FLSecOfState, @illinoissbe, and @FrankLaRose are ignoring risks. #COVID19

Also, what about voter suppression?

If voter was unable to get mail-in ballot or early vote, should they really have to make choice between not voting or risking health during global pandemic?

Least officials could do is push primary a week or two to give voters more time.

In the course of collecting signatures for this petition, medical professionals and concerned voters have submitted their own comments on why state officials should extend mail-in voting and postpone March 17 primaries.

Here are several. #COVID19

"Many voters may feel they have to choose between voting and staying healthy. This is a form of voter disenfranchisement. The Ohio Primaries must be extended at least one month for COVID-19 allowances."

—Roberta, Ohio Resident #COVID19

"Very concerned about voter suppression."

—Susan Steigerwalt, MD, retired physician #COVID19

"Ohio, and other states, can easily postpone our primary to allow for greater participation vi already existing absentee balloting systems."

—Lori Kryspin, Former Supervisor, AIDS Clinical Trial Laboratory, Ohio State University #COVID19

"This is putting the public AND healthcare workers at unnecessary risk. Shame!"

—Heather Regan, Registered Respiratory Therapist #COVID19

"I work cases in family court, & to my clients, they are urgent matters. But court system is taking drastic measures, because of coronavirus, as well they should.

DNC: Do right thing; postpone these primaries or extend period for voting."

—David Yomtov, Attorney #COVID19

"I don't want my grandpa dying because he went to the polls. CDC is recommending banning groups of over 50. His polling place will absolutely be higher than that."

—Allison Weber, Concerned Granddaughter #COVID19

"Time is of the essence to flatten the curve."

—Jami West, OTD, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist #COVID19

"Keeping the virus from spreading too fast is already difficult due to government inaction. Let's wake up now and take care of both poll workers and voters."

—Janet Cannon, Concerned Citizen

"You MUST follow suit. LA, GA have rescheduled. It is too late to request mail-in ballots, and too many will not go out to vote, which could greatly compromise and complicate the election. You must reschedule."

—Angela Oravec, COTA/L #COVID19

"Make pragmatic decisions for your constituents & follow advice given to you by appropriately qualified and knowledgeable individuals. All evidence indicates you will be putting not just your own constituents at risk but population as whole."

—Carlos Espinosa, Citizen #COVID19

"People should not have to risk their lives to vote. The @DNC will be culpable for any deaths caused by voting during a pandemic."

—Patty Smith, Citizen #COVID19

"If you won't do it for public safety, do it for a representative turnout of your party's voters, not something that will forever have an asterisk."

—Ashley Wilson, Voter

"Because of poor structure of health care delivery we have in U.S., we are in no way prepared or organized to deal with massive amounts of cases. Italy is a good example of what is in store for us here in the U.S."

—Jean De Mott, Citizen #COVID19

"As a physicist, I know what it looks like when classical instability is driven by strong gradient (in this case, smaller uninfected than infected population) and weak damping (in this case, lack of social distancing)."

—Paul Hughes, PhD, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab #COVID19

"As stage IV cancer patient, you should know that my medical care has already been delayed."

And:

"Every day that we delay most severe precautions & movement restrictions, we risk exponential increase in coronavirus infections."

—Carolyn Leigh, Licensed Acupuncturist #COVID19

"It is in my strongest medical and mental health opinion that Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, & Florida primaries need to be postponed until coronavirus has been managed..."

—Jennifer Mele, Licensed Clinical Social Worker #COVID19