Expect to see hand sanitizer at the Va. polls

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Voters can expect to see hand sanitizer at the polls and maybe some cotton swabs they can use to avoid contact with touch-screen machines, in efforts to prevent the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus.

Virginia officials are urging voters Tuesday to take the same precautions at the polls that health officials have issued to prevent the so-called swine flu, including frequent hand-washing and keeping their hands away from their faces.

Election officials' flu-prevention plan notes that some Virginia localities are providing implements such as cotton swabs and disposable coffee stirrers to use instead of their hands. Some have put backup poll workers on standby in case someone gets sick. More than 2,000 bottles of sanitizing gel have been shipped to Virginia's 134 cities and counties.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://www.pilotonline.com

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