Filenews 30 January 2023
Instructions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the community during the presidential elections are given by the Department of Medical and Public Health Services to election officials.
It is noted that for the purposes of implementing the instructions in question, election workers are considered to be all staff who come into contact with voters or with places visited by voters in the context of elections. These measures should be considered as the minimum that should be applied. The General Registrar of Elections, depending on the conditions prevailing during the electoral process, may impose additional measures to protect voters and employees, if necessary.
It is also important for the management of the electoral process to define roles and responsibilities for the staff, so that the dissemination and circulation of information is effectively implemented (e.g. if any of the staff becomes ill the management must be informed immediately) and also that the staff is aware of the actions they must take in the event of any emergency of this nature.
Regulatory Regime The Infectious Diseases (Determination of measures to Prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus) Decree (No. 2) of 2023 :
- Persons who are in confinement after being tested positive for Covid 19, and who are registered on the electoral roll, on the day of the elections, are granted permission to go exclusively to the polling station where they are registered, for the purpose of exercising their right to vote.
- They can go to the polling station either on foot or by private vehicle in which they will have for exclusive use for that day and without any other stops visits.
- It is noted that the use of public transport is prohibited.
- They must necessarily wear a protective mask.
Rooms:
- Rooms should be adequately ventilated. The use of air conditioners is allowed provided that the continuous and adequate intake of fresh air is ensured, either by using mechanical systems or by natural regular ventilation of the space.
- Employees and representatives of the candidates must wear a protective mask throughout their stay at the polling station.
- Recommendation for the use of protective masks by all voters inside polling stations
- Existence, in a clearly visible position at the entrances and exits (where applicable), of the voting rooms, of an alcoholic solution bottle (with infusion pump and stand) for hand hygiene, for the use of voters.
- The polling booths will not have a curtain and it will be the responsibility of the centre's staff to regularly disinfect them, as well as all the surfaces with which voters and staff come into contact as well as pens.
- Disinfection of voters' hands when entering and leaving the polling station is mandatory.
All employees of the polling stations and the representatives of the candidates are advised to take a diagnostic rapid antigen test (self test) for COVID19 disease the day before the elections.
- Written instructions and training on how to spread COVID-19 should be made available to staff by the management of the electoral process so that they are aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and are able to recognise them in a timely manner. The aim is to be able to seek appropriate medical assistance and laboratory testing and to minimize the risk of infection of both the public and other workers.
- All staff working in the electoral process must have training on precautions:
- Personal protection rules
- respiratory hygiene (coughing or sneezing, covering the nose and mouth with a tissue which is immediately disposed of in the trash; if this is not available, cover the mouth and nose with the inside of the elbow),
- avoiding contact of hands with eyes, nose and mouth to reduce the risk of infection with the virus,
- frequent hand hygiene especially after contact with respiratory secretions, before eating and after using the toilet (hand hygiene includes either cleaning hands with soap and water, or rubbing hands with an alcoholic solution, rubbing with an alcoholic solution is preferable when hands are not visibly soiled, washing hands with soap and water especially when they are visibly soiled).
- Staff showing symptoms of COVID-19 should refrain from work and contact their personal doctor directly. In the event of the appearance of symptoms during work, the working person should immediately leave work. Such staff may exercise their right to vote before leaving.
- The management of the electoral process will make arrangements for the continuous monitoring of staff regarding the possible occurrence of relevant symptoms.
- To make an effort for staff to work in teams with a permanent recommendation so as to reduce the possibility of spreading the virus in case of an outbreak.
- To recommend to people who may belong to vulnerable groups, not to work in elections.
Organization of election venues
- Before the elections, in order to inform the staff of the elections, any gatherings that will take place should be held with the least number of people and should be governed by personal protection measures.
- During the electoral process, it should be ensured that access to polling stations is free of overcrowding and overcrowding.
- There should be geographical dispersion of polling stations (e.g. in more places)
- It should be ensured that all access points to polling stations are open.
- To avoid the use of polling stations accessible by lift.
- Mandatory dispersion of voters during access to the Center and to avoid their unnecessary stay in the area.
- Placement of posters/instructions for personal hygiene.
- Disinfection of canopies and equipment at regular intervals.
- There will be uninterrupted availability of antiseptic at the entrance of polling stations, toilets and other prominent places.
- The use of air conditioners is allowed provided that the continuous and adequate intake of fresh air is ensured either by the use of mechanical systems or by natural regular ventilation of the space.
Practices in the conduct of elections
- An effort should be made so that the minimum possible number of people remains inside the centre. Waiting for voters to take place outdoors
- To reduce to a minimum both in number and time the presence within the centres of both any observers acting on behalf of candidates and any visits by candidates / party officials.
- The staff to limit to the extent possible the conversation with voters and with each other to the bare essentials.
- Proposal for ordering and delegation of tasks
- The person handling the electoral roll (1) is seated next to (on the left) by the person (2) who will be giving the ballot papers.
- Upon the voter's entry into the Centre, the voter proceeds to the person (1) handling the electoral roll. The person (2) sitting next to him gives him a pen to sign the list and asks him with the same pen to vote. (Pen comes from kit A)
- After the voter signs the list on it is given by person 2 the ballot paper.
- Then the voter signs the list and holding the same pen proceeds to the canopy.
- It is recommended that people 1 and 2 disinfect their hands.
- After noting his choice, he exits the canopy and places the ballot paper in the ballot box and the pen in kit B.
- When the voter leaves, the canopy is disinfected where the voter uses to mark his choice.
- During the sorting and counting of votes, frequent hand disinfection should be carried out.
- Do not consume food/beverages within the Center (this requires the removal of the mask).
- Cleaning staff must be trained in the appropriate cleaning and disinfection process regarding covid-19 coronavirus. For this purpose, the appropriate documents are used that are posted in the section "Instructions for dealing with the effects of the coronavirus in workplaces" on the website of the Press and Information Office –
- Diligent and frequent cleaning and disinfection of items of common use.
- Soap and paper dispensers in toilets should always be with soap and napkins available, checked frequently for proper operation and cleaned frequently.
- Supply of toilets with liquid soap, disposable hand towels (which will be disposed of in buckets with a foot-operated lever near the washbasins), and antiseptic alcoholic solution (70% alcohol content). Plastic bags of bins, when filled, must be tightly tied and removed immediately. Gloves after use should be disposed of immediately in the plastic bags of the waste bins and no attempts should be made to clean them, e.g. washing disposable gloves and reusing them.
- In addition to the usual cleaning operations of the toilets, frequent cleaning of frequently used smooth surfaces (e.g. knobs, handles, handrails from stairs or railings, switches, taps, elevator buttons, etc.) is needed with common cleaners, i.e. liquid soap and water, or a solution of household bleach (sodium hypochlorite at a concentration of 0.1%), or hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 0.5%, or an alcoholic antiseptic (ethanol 70%). It is noted that cleaning operations must be carried out using gloves and a suitable work uniform for this purpose.
Care must be taken to ensure that sufficient consumable material is constantly readily accessible at polling stations to prevent infections:
- liquid soap
- alcoholic hand cleaning solution (70% ethanol)
- Tissues
- protective face masks;
- garbage bags
- liquid surface cleaning detergents
- Kits marked A & B for mounting the pens.
At the end of the electoral process, the rooms that will be used as polling stations will have to be ventilated in a natural way for at least half an hour and disinfected.
