Hoping to avoid scenes like this, with voters standing shoulder to shoulder in crowded polling places, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered that counties provide at least one voting site per 10,000 registered voters, in addition to previously announced vote-by-mail access. (Photo by Phil Roeder/Flickr)

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday to expand the state’s number of polling places ahead of the November general election, which state officials expect to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The executive order requires each county to offer at least one polling place for every 10,000 registered voters between Oct. 31 and Election Day on Nov. 3. The expansion is intended to reduce the number of voters at each location, allowing for shorter lines and smaller crowds.

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Eli covers public health, transportation and state politics for the Bay City News Foundation, serves as the main editor of the Public Health and COVID-19 Information Hub and assists with Local News Matters' social media strategy. He has also previously covered local politics in San Diego County as well as college and professional sports across the Bay Area.