The Erode district administration has placed an order to buy 19 lakh gloves for free distribution to voters at the time of entering the polling stations, said the district Collector and its election officer C Kathiravan on Wednesday.

Due to COVID-19 and to avert its spread among the voters queueing up at the polling booths, the gloves would be distributed, he said.

Each voter entering the booths would be examined with thermal-scanners and their hands sprayed with sanitisers, he said. Then, the voter would be given a pair of gloves to be worn while exercising their franchise, the Collector said.

They should throw the used gloves in a box kept at the polling booth after the voting, he added.