Polls at the time of Pandemic: EC sets norms for new normal of voting

How will elections take place in India amid coronavirus?

If a voter with high body temperature turns up at a polling station, she or he will be sent back with a token and asked to come again at the last hour to cast votes.

All voters will have to come with masks on faces, but whoever will forget to do so should not worry as they will get ones while waiting in the queues before entering polling booths – maintaining six feet distance from each other. They will also get gloves to put on before pressing the buttons on the Electronic Voting Machines.

This is what is going to be the 'new normal' of voting in the Covid-19 era.

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued “broad guidelines” for holding polls at the time of the pandemic. Apart from infrared thermometers for checking the body temperatures of the voters, the polling stations will also have sanitizers, soap and water and all poll officials too will be issued masks, face-shields and gloves to put on. The polling booths will be sanitized, preferably a day before the date of voting.

The quarantined Covid-19 patients will be allowed to cast votes at the last hour of polling, along with the ones who will be turned back earlier on the day when thermal screening found them having a high temperature.

The ECI on Friday framed the “broad guidelines” for holding elections amid speculation over the forthcoming assembly polls in Bihar – due in October. The poll-panel will also have to conduct several bye-elections across the country. It left it to the Chief Electoral Officers in the poll-bound states to frame specific plans for holding elections amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic, based on the broad guidelines issued by it.

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The “new normal” of elections will, in fact, begin with the filing of nomination by the candidates, who will now have the option of filling the forms and the affidavits online and submission of printouts before the Returning Officers.

They will also have the option of depositing the security money online. They can however no longer take out long processions while going to submit nomination papers – hitherto used as the first display of strength in the battle of ballots.

They can now take only two vehicles and two supporters to the offices of the Returning Officers.

The campaigning ahead of polling in the Covid-19 era is also going to be a toned-down affair. Not more than five persons will be allowed to go for door-to-door campaigning and only five vehicles can take part in the roadshows.

Only a limited number of people will be allowed to attend the public meetings in the designated grounds as the EC wants the authorities to ensure strict adherence of the social distancing norms.