INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Since the election, nearly half of the full-time workers at the Jackson County Election Board have tested positive for COVID-19.
An additional 22 part-time employees tested positive over the last 14 to 17 days.
To get everything ready to certify election results by Monday, Nov. 16, Republican Director Tammy Brown said two workers who tested positive offered to work Wednesday because the Veterans Day holiday allowed them to stay away from co-workers.
Brown said the workers are the only ones who can run the tabulators, and she plans to disinfect the entire office before other full-time workers return Thursday.
"They are in their own area, not near anyone else," Brown said.
41 Action News reached out to the Jackson County Health Department, and a spokesperson said the department would not recommend anyone who has tested positive to be working in the building. The department will be reaching out to the election board to discuss next steps.
After hearing from the health department, 41 Action News contacted the election board again about how the decision was made to let COVID-positive workers work Wednesday. We have not heard back.
Brown said all full-time workers got a test the Thursday following the election after a worker began experiencing symptoms on Election Day.
Eight workers had received positive results by this past weekend.
Brown said all but one worked on Election Day.
"It's because we were around thousands of people," Brown said. "There was no way election officials probably aren't going to get it, depending on what their duties were, because we're just around so people, especially in a presidential (election)."
Brown said the board is encouraging community members to get tested if they visited the election office recently.
"We know who our full-time people were and who our part-time people were, but if you were just a member of the public walking something in or asking a question, there's no way to track them," Brown said.
