Like many Americans, Demetrius Alexander had the November election surround his calendar.
A positive COVID-19 almost ruined his plans to vote.
Alexander, a 41-year-old Detroit resident, tested positive for the virus last Thursday, but doesn’t know how it was transmitted to him. But on Tuesday morning, he felt smart enough to vote. In his election protection and fitness guidelines, the Michigan Secretary of State encouraged employees to organize separate street votes or voting booths for others with symptoms.
When Alexander arrived at his polling station at Henry Ford High School, he informed election officials that he had tested positive.
A voting officer told Alexander that his diagnosis of COVID-19 put elderly staff in the compound in danger of getting sick. Instead of allowing him to vote across the sidewalk, Alexander was invited to vote at Wayne County Community College, which was not his survey. Investigators were under the impression that at Wayne County Community College, Alexander could take credit for the vote on the wheel. After a two-and-a-half hour wait, Alexander said that was not the case.
More: Michigan 2020 Election Results: Updates on President, Congress, and State Careers
More: Detroit Election Leaders Project: Voter Turnout Is 20 to 30 Years
Once Alexander arrived, he told her to wait in his car. Eventually, election officials told him that he might not vote outdoors for his assigned trip and that he had to touch the city clerk’s office. After reaching another snlock, Alexander feared he would run out of time to vote.
“I have young people and I seek to teach them the ethical price of voting, showing their democracy, and what America is based on,” Alexander said. “But even with all the confusion that’s going on in America right now, and all the tensions and everything else, you know how valuable this election is to everyone, no matter your opinion, no matter what.
After being rejected Tuesday afternoon, Alexander thought it might be too late. “I can’t vote because I have something that didn’t even belong to me. It wasn’t my choice. “
Alexander, who said he missed the vote in a singles election, called hotlines for voters, news agencies and election rights organizations, who told him to return to his polling station. On Tuesday night, Alexander returned to Henry Ford High School. At the time, staff were in a position to help you vote on the street aspect, a voting officer said.
“When he came back here, the other people in our organization gave me his direct touch and I was able to intercept him outside at the door, let him know he was going to paint with him to make sure we could get his survey,” said Roshaun Harris, Detroit Action organizer and henry Ford High School survey painter. “(I) went back there, talked to election officials, drew up a plan on how we can do it as safely as possible, and then took the survey to the young man and was able to vote. “
Alexander’s trial provides a window into the reality of voting on a pandemic. COVID-19 instances have more in an election season that is expected to result in a record turnout in Michigan.
In the end, Alexander voted. But while Michigan reports on a new wave of viruses, he wonders how many other people haven’t been able to spend hours to make sure they can vote. The process, he said, discouraging, “to the point where I almost gave up. “
This story came as an informed recommendation as a component of ProPublica’s Electionland project.