The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a fresh set of guidelines in August 2020, for carrying out polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The guidelines came just months before the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for October, and Bengal Assembly elections, slated for next year.
Key Highlights of the Guidelines
Some of the key highlights of the guidelines are as follows:
(i) Filing of nominations can be done online.
(ii) People have to wear face masks during election-related activities.
(iii) Postal ballot facility has been extended to the voters, marked as ‘persons with disabilities’. This facility is also provided for senior citizens above 80 years, people employed in notified essential services, and for COVID-19 positive or possibly infected persons.
(iv) Thermal scanning of all voters will be carried out at the entry hall or premises where the polls will be held.
(v) Sanitisers, soap, and water shall also be made available to all voters.
(vi) Social distancing will be mandatory, etc.
WHO Report shows Younger Age Group to be Main Driver of COVID-19