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CDC: People in quarantine due to COVID exposure can vote in-person

Georgia's governor and his wife are quarantining after they were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Friday.

ATLANTA — For months, we've heard experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine for 14 days. 

On Sunday, the CDC said that exposure to the virus "would not preclude them from exercising their right to vote."

Election Day is on Tuesday and long lines and crowds are expected as people cast their ballot across the country. 

They said that voters should take steps to protect poll workers and other voters -- and let poll workers know about their condition when they arrive at the polling location. 

"Voting in person can be accomplished safely following CDC’s recommendations for polling locations and voters," they said in a statement to 11Alive.

RELATED: CDC redefines COVID-19 close contact, adds brief encounters

The CDC said that, where possible, alternative voting options should be made available to those with COVID-19, those who have symptoms, and those who have been exposed to someone with the virus. 

Poll workers at these locations should be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), "including respiratory protection, face shields, gowns, and gloves, and trained in the appropriate use of this equipment," the CDC said. 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife, first lady Marty Kemp, are both quarantining after they were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, his office confirmed on Friday.

Both Kemp and the first lady took a COVID-19 test and they were negative, he said on Friday. 

The announcement of the governor's exposure came on the same day that Georgia US Rep. Drew Ferguson said that he tested positive for the coronavirus. 

According to the CDC, Gov. Kemp would have been able to vote in person while wearing a mask, and maintaining at least six feet between election workers and other voters, and washing or sanitizing his hands before and after voting.

"We also recommend that Gov. Kemp let poll workers know that he is in quarantine when he arrives at the polling location," the CDC said in the statement. "Following these prevention steps would help to ensure he could cast his ballot while protecting others at the polling location."

However, on Monday, the governor's staff confirmed he would be voting absentee instead.

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