Panchayat polls: Postal ballots for Covid-19 patients to vote

Bengaluru: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday issued the SOP for conducting elections to 5,800 gram panchayats with a specific mention of a postal ballots for all those who are positive for Covid-19, because of which they would be unable to cast their vote.
With the terms of 3,000 GPs ending in July and of 2,800 GPs in August, an administrator was appointed to each of the GPs. The elections to the GPs was initially postponed due the pandemic.
With the Central Election Commission (CEC) deciding to conduct the polls, the SEC is going with it. The poll dates and calendar of events will be released late next week.
The 10-page SOP of the SEC reads: “As Covid-19 patients are unable to exercise their rights — they may be under home quarantine or in a hospital — the SEC will be issuing a separate guideline for postal ballots to allow them to vote.”
The SOP also directs the candidates against having public gatherings or using loudspeakers to canvas during their campaigning, “but can pay door-to-door visits with least number of people around”.
On the polling day, the SEC said, the voters will have to mandatorily wear face masks and be screened for temperature and follow other Covid-19 norms, including the use of sanitisers. People will be asked to maintain social distancing while standing in queues to vote.
On the results day too, the SEC has banned processions or crowding of people to celebrate candidates’ victory. It has asked the candidates to take their certificates and leave the counting centres immediately.