New Delhi (NVI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a fresh set of guidelines for carrying out general elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, just months before the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for October and Bengal Assembly elections slated for next year.
Door-to-door campaigns with only five people and gloves for voters before they press the button at electronic voting machines are some of the guidelines for holding elections amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The guidelines further state that a maximum of 1,000 voters can be present at any polling booth at a time, and every voter’s body temperature will be checked before the person is allowed to enter the booth.
EC also said that public meetings and road shows can be organised but must follow COVID-19 containment conditions set by the centre.
Candidates can file their nominations online and people have to wear face masks during election-related activities, the new guidelines said.
The option of postal ballot facility has been extended to the voters who are marked as ‘persons with disabilities’. People, who are above the age of 80 years, people employed in notified essential services and those who have tested Covid-19 positive or are possibly infected can all vote through the postal ballot facility, the Election Commission said. However, guidelines for each of the categories of people who are eligible for postal ballot will be issued separately.
Thermal scanning of all voters will be carried out at the entry hall or premises where the polls will be held. Sanitisers, soap and water shall also be made available to all voters, according to the new rules.
Social distancing will mandatorily have to be followed in keeping with the guidelines issued earlier by the Ministry of Home Affairs. State administrations have been told to identify large halls to ensure that social distancing can be done during the polls.
-CHK
