St. Louis election official dies with COVID; worked at polls despite diagnosis

A suburban St. Louis election official who worked at a polling place on Election Day despite a positive test for the coronavirus has now died, raising concerns for the nearly 2,000 people who voted there.

St. Charles County, Missouri, spokeswoman Mary Enger says in a news release Thursday that the person, whose cause of death is not yet known, was an election judge supervisor Tuesday at the Blanchette Park Memorial Hall polling site in St. Charles, about 25 miles northwest of St. Louis. Enger says the county’s health department and election authority recently learned that the poll worker tested positive October 30 for the coronavirus and was advised to quarantine for 14 days.

“The election judge nevertheless failed to follow the advice” and worked throughout the day on Tuesday, Enger says. “Authorities have informed the County that this individual has died, although a cause of death has not been given at this time.”

No details about the worker, including his or her age or gender, were released.

Contact tracing has started and county health officials have contacted the other nine election workers at the site, who were advised to be tested for the virus, Enger says. The infected poll worker’s duties did not “typically” include handling iPads, or having close contact with the 1,858 voters such as taking voter identification, Enger says.

County officials urge anyone who was at the precinct on Election Day to watch closely for symptoms and call a hotline number if they have questions.

St. Charles County Director of Elections Kurt Bahr says election workers were required to wear masks or face shields, and Plexiglas barriers separated workers from voters.

— AP