A 102-year-old Chicago woman who has been voting for 80 years wasn't going to let coronavirus stop her from voting in this year's election. But as a former teacher, she was going to be smart about it -- doing it in full personal protective equipment.
There are two big reasons Beatrice Lumpkin is voting in this election, according to Chicago radio station WBBM.
"When I was born, women couldn't vote," Lumpkin said "And second, because it's the most important election of my lifetime. The very future of democracy is on the line."
The Chicago Teacher's Union shared a photo of Lumpkin, a union retiree, casting her ballot by mail. The photo shows her wearing a hazmat-type hood designed by her grandson as she drops her ballot into a blue mailbox.
"If Bea can do it, anyone can do it. Vote!" the Instagram post read.
Lumpkin told WBBM she believes mail-in balloting is secure (President Donald Trump has claimed, without proof, that it will lead to widespread fraud). Lumpkin says she can track her ballot electronically.
"As soon as they get my ballot I'm going to get an email that'll let me know they have the ballot," she reportedly said.
Lumpkin said the first president she ever voted for was Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940. She has said she hasn't missed an election since.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia or death.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.