COVID-19 is changing the way candidates campaign for the fall election.
Michelle O'Neill reports Congresswoman Cheri Bustos hosted a Zoom meeting Thursday night to open her virtual campaign office.Radio story
Around 50 people from all 14 counties in the 17th Congressional District participated in the virtual campaign meeting for the incumbent democrat.
Her Campaign Manager, Tom Bryant, says usually, supporters would come to an office to volunteer and work together calling voters. And they'd start going door-to-door asking people for support.
That's just not possible during the pandemic. A new system will allow volunteers to call voters from home. Bryant says volunteers will also use an app to send voters text messages.
Bryant has been in the campaign business for ten years, and he says the coronavirus has created a unique situation. Besides encouraging people to vote for Bustos, he and his boss want to teach voters how to vote without putting themselves at risk. They recommend voting by mail or voting early.
He's curently ramping up the volunteer effort with three months to go until the November election.
Bustos' Republican opponent is Esther Joy King .
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