Election officials prepare for social distancing at precincts

NEW BERN, Craven County — The November election is only a few months away, and some people are wondering how voting is going to work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In Craven County, those at the Board of Elections are working to put safety measures in place. Director of Elections Meloni Wray said the number of people requesting absentee ballots has doubled compared to past years, but she says preparations are being made for voters to still want to vote at a precinct.

“I had two of my guys go out to every polling location and measure and then come back and draw out a picture, a layout of the voting booth to see how many voting booths we could get in there if we had to six feet distance," she explained.

Wray said only a few polling locations cannot fit as many voting booths as previous years while staying six feet apart.