NEW DELHI: With Bihar preparing to go to assembly polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Election Commission on Friday came out with broad guidelines, according to which Covid-19 patients who are quarantined will be allowed to cast their vote in the last hour of polling under the supervision of health authorities.
It has to be ensured that all Covid-19 related guidelines are strictly adhered to by all — poll officials, political parties and candidates, voters, security personnel, health workers and others — during each and every election related activity, the EC guidelines said.
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.
Gloves will be provided to each official handling EVMs/VVPATs and all the electors for signing on the voter register and pressing the EVM button. At polling stations, face masks in reserves will be kept for those electors who are not already wearing one and when required, the voters will have to lower the mask for identification.
The poll panel has also revised the norms for number of persons accompanying the candidate and number of vehicles allowed at the time of nomination. Only five persons will be allowed during door-to-door campaigns. Public meetings and road shows can be organised but with containment restrictions fixed by the Centre.
Candidates can file nominations and deposit security money online, the EC said in the 12-page document. The Commission has said a detailed guideline will be prepared at the local level.
Other standard safety measures like wearing masks, using sanitisers, installing thermal scanners and kits will continue during the election process.
Non-compliance of instructions on measures will be invite actions under Disaster Management Act, 2005, and IPC. Elections are due in October-November in Bihar, which has reported 1.15 lakh Covid cases and over 570 deaths so far.