Washington state warns voters they shouldn’t lick their mail-in ballots

Everyone knows how to seal a ballot return envelope, right? You lick it shut?

Wrong, says Washington’s Secretary of State and Department of Health.

Authorities in Washington, which votes by mail-in ballot, asked residents on Twitter to please (please!) use “alternative methods” to seal ballot return envelopes, like wet sponge, cloth, heck even your pet’s tongue.

Just not yours.

The appeal was accompanied by a catchy slogan: “Whether healthy or sick, please don’t lick!”

Election workers should also take extra precautions, like using gloves when opening ballot envelopes, Kylee Zabel, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State, told CNN. These are best practices for any virus season, she explained.

The coronavirus in Washington

Washington has become the hotbed of the novel coronavirus, which has now spread across the country.

The state was home to the first confirmed US case of the virus, and now 10 people in the state have died from it. In total, the state has had at least 39 cases of the virus — making it one of the most affected states in the country.

Coronavirus can spread through contact with an infected person’s saliva. A cough, sneeze or handshake could enable its spread, as well as touching something an infected person has touched (like, say, an envelope).

In the wake of the increasing spread of coronavirus, Washington isn’t the only state that is taking precautions with voting.

On Tuesday, California — which has at least 33 cases of the virus — providing voters with hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to disinfect the touch screen machines.

Authorities also encouraged those feeling sick to mail in or drop off their ballots, rather than head to a voting center.