Mail-in voting and absentee voting have been used in American elections for years, but this year, their integrity has been questioned.

Casting your ballot by mail is the safest way to vote while ensuring your health during the pandemic, healthcare experts say. But many people prefer to vote in person to make sure their vote counts, according to Politico.

To do so safely, follow the three W’s, said Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Wear a mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands.” Frieden, an infectious disease expert and public health physician, added that since he is in close contact with people at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19 — including his 91-year-old mother — he will file an absentee ballot.

Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist from the University of South Florida, told Politico: “I think it most certainly can be safe to vote in person, depending on the precautions taken by the individual in question, the election workers, the polling station, and your fellow voters who are engaging in this immensely important right we have as citizens of a democracy.” Salemi recommended checking out the polling station to ensure social distancing rules are being enforced.

According to CNN, it is also critical to check the number of cases in your area before determining if it is safe to go to the polling station. “If you are in an area that has really gotten control of COVID-19, and it’s having very little spread in the community, that’s safer than areas that are having ongoing outbreaks in terms of being around people,” said Dr. Marybeth Sexton, an infectious disease physician at Emory University. Sexton added that if you are not at high-risk for the disease, consider becoming a poll worker to help speed the process on November 3.

She added that certain check points should be in place if you vote in person. Among them are 6-foot markers that indicate proper spacing between voters, the enforcement of wearing face masks for both voters and poll workers, separate entrance and exit doors, and Plexiglas barriers between the voter and the poll worker.

Sexton said since being outdoors is safer than indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the more time you spend outside your polling station, the better. Vote early if your state and district allow. You can find out more information on Vote.org.

Drop off your ballot instead of mailing it in if you feel more secure doing so, but make sure to use hand sanitizer before and after opening the mail slot, according to CNN.