Guidelines to conduct general and bye-elections during COVID-19 period were issued by the Election Commission of India after considering suggestions from political parties. Online nomination forms for candidates, only five people for door to door campaign and hand gloves for electors to press the EVM are some of the measures the EC will take to conduct elections during the pandemic.
Online nomination forms for candidates, only five people for door to door campaign and hand gloves for electors to press the EVM are some of the measures the Election Commission will take to conduct elections during COVID-19 period.
Guidelines to conduct general and bye-elections during COVID-19 period were issued by the Election Commission of India after considering suggestions from political parties.
The poll panel had on Tuesday said that it will frame broad guidelines to hold general and bye-elections during COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guidelines.
On the basis of these guidelines, Chief Electoral Officers of the election-going states will also prepare a comprehensive plan for state and district concerned for COVID-19 related measures, keeping in view, the local conditions, during the conduct of elections.
The Election Commission of India said all basic protocols set by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health shall be stringently followed during the election process.
To hold elections during the pandemic, the Election Commission has revised the norms of the number of persons accompanying the candidate and number of vehicles at the time of nomination.
It has also created optional facility to fill the nomination form and the affidavit online and submission of the same, after taking the print, before the Returning Officer. For the first time, the candidates will have the option to deposit security amount for contesting the elections online, the poll panel said.
The ECI has also issued guidelines for campaigning during the pandemic. The commission has limited the number of persons including the candidate for a door to door campaign to five. Public meeting and roadshows will be permissible with suitable instructions subject to containment instructions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the state, the poll panel said.
Face mask, sanitiser, thermal scanners, gloves, face shield and PPE kits will be used during the electoral process ensuring social distancing norms, it said. Thermal checking of voters at the entry point of polling station either by polling staff or paramedical staff or Asha worker is mandatory.
Hand gloves will be provided to all the electors for signing on the voter register and pressing the button of EVM for voting, it added.
If the temperature is above the set norms of MoHFW at first reading, then it will be checked twice and if it remains, then the elector shall be provided with token/certificate and will be asked to come for voting at the last hour of the poll, as per the EC guidelines.
At the last hour of the poll, such electors will be facilitated voting, strictly following COVID-19-related preventive measures.
Assembly elections are due in Bihar in November, besides bypolls to various assembly seats across states.
Earlier last month, the Election Commission said it has decided to not go ahead with the facility of postal ballot to electors above 65 years of age for Assembly Elections in Bihar likely to take place later this year.
The poll body said the facility will not be extended in Bihar assembly elections and by-elections due in near future in view of constraints of logistics, manpower and safety protocols of COVID-19.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Representational image")
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}