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Virginia Works To Prevent Spread Of Flu At Polls

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Election Day is tomorrow, and voters in Virginia may see hand sanitizer and cotton swabs at the polls. It's part of an effort to prevent the spread of H1N1 swine flu.

Earlier this month, the federal Election Assistance Commission asked states to come up with plans to minimize the risk of infection among poll workers and voters. The idea is to make sure concerns about the flu won't keep people from voting.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that under Virginia's plan, more than 2,000 bottles of sanitizing gel have been shipped to cities and counties around the state. Some jurisdictions will also have cotton swabs or disposable coffee stirrers on hand so people can avoid direct contact with touch-screen voting machines. In some areas, backup poll workers will be on standby in case someone gets sick and can't complete their shift.

Matt McCleskey reports...

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