Virus-fighting volunteers sought for primary votes

Virginia Medical Reserve Corps units in southwest Virginia are seeking new volunteers to join a team of infection prevention ambassadors to assist local election officials with the upcoming June primaries.

These volunteers will assist local election officials with proper use of face masks/face coverings, monitoring proper social distancing measures by voters, ensuring proper sanitation methods, including proper hand washing and assisting with cleaning voting machines. Ambassadors will be stationed inside polling places, but will not assist with any duties specific to election workers.

“We are looking forward to MRC volunteers helping to ensure a safe voting experience next month, and anticipate that infection prevention ambassadors will be called upon again for elections in November,” said Kristina Morris, Southwest Virginia MRC unit coordinator. “This is a great way to get involved with COVID-19 response efforts and become a public health advocate.”

To register for this team, interested individuals can submit an application at www.vamrc.org/vvhs.

For additional information, contact Pat Meinen, Regional MRC COVID-19 coordinator, at pat.meinen@vdh.virginia.gov, 804/314-5802 or visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/swvamrc.

Local voter registrars may submit requests online for infection prevention ambassadors at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/mrc/elections/.