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Here's what early voting will look like at locations across the Triad

WFMY News 2 got an inside look at what you can expect when you head to the polls to vote in person.

Early voting starts Thursday and there will be a few more steps when you head to cast your vote due to the pandemic.

Election workers across the Triad prepared polling locations for social distancing Wednesday.

"Precinct officials are gonna have lots of masks and shields and gloves," Guilford County Board of Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said.

In Alamance County, workers set up five early voting sites in the county. The process will have changes as soon as you walk in the door.

Fans will circulate air and stickers will tell you where to stand in line to vote.

Clear barriers will separate workers and voters when possible and voting booths are separated by six feet.

It's all part of what the first day of in person voting will look like in North Carolina this year.

"(We are) using pretty much every part of these rooms that we can use, so that as voters go through the process they're distanced from each other and from the poll worker," Collicutt said.

Collicutt said many of those steps will be in place in Guilford County too.

Another option to voters will be curbside voting.

"If a voter does think that they're symptomatic, or sick or has some type of underlying issue that might make them susceptible to COVID, we can always do a curbside ballot where you can vote in your car," Collicutt said.

He said turn out could be high as it was in recent presidential elections.

That could mean lines as workers and voters adjust to a new way of voting.

"Just be patient as we get through the first day," Collicutt said.

You will not be turned away from voting without a mask but election workers will strongly encourage you to wear one.

Don't feel like you have to early vote on the first day. There will be 16 more days to vote during the early voting period after Thursday.

RELATED: Early voting during pandemic: What to expect at the polls

RELATED: Triad college students help push for on-campus polling places

RELATED: Rockingham County woman comes out of retirement to help with this year's election

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