Super Tuesday: California county offers 'drive-by voting' for voters worried about coronavirus

Two coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in US so far as virus spreads across country

As concerns around the spread of coronavirus in the United States have reached a fever pitch in recent days, the issue has managed to influence the upcoming Super Tuesday primaries in at least some ways.

In at least one California county hit by the spread of the virus, Solano County, voters have been told they can drop off their ballots without getting out of their cars.

And, all poll workers in the county — which saw a resident test positive without any link to foreign travel — are being given disinfectant wipes to use on voting machines.

“We’re definitely trying to give voters another couple of options to still get their vote out but not have to interact, if they didn’t want to, with the public,” said John Gardner, the assistant registrar of voters, in an interview with ABC News.

The decision in Solano County is one among just a few precautions being implemented in the 14 states that are set to vote on Tuesday, with most planning no changes at all, according to reports.

“It’s pretty much business as usual,” said Steve Hurlbert, the communications director for the Colorado Secretary of State, according to the New York Daily News.

So far, the coronavirus outbreak in the US has largely appeared contained, even as two deaths were reported over the weekend and some scientists have raised concerns that the virus may be spreading undetected, and have a much larger footprint than believed.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have declared that it is a matter of when, not if, the virus impacts the United States, and Donald Trump has assigned a task force to try and combat that spread.

While Super Tuesday states may not be taking many extra precautions, it may be likely that future primaries are impacted going forward. Should health officials cancel school and sporting events, it would seem likely that they could also delay in-person voting as well.