New normal of voting during pandemic

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Election Commission of India has capped the maximum number of electors in each polling station at 1500 and issued broad guidelines for conducting the polls during COVID-19. The ECI directives have outlined the changes that Assam will witness in 2021 Assembly polls in view of the prevailing pandemic situation. They also tell about the changes which the electors, parties, and candidates besides the election machinery are expected to adopt to make the election process contactless as far as practicable. The ECI guidelines and directives will put the election machinery to the test, as far the scale of logistical arrangements that will be required are concerned. However, these measures are inevitable for preventing the pandemic curve to rise during the election. The ECI has directed rationalising the polling stations before publication of the draft revised photo electoral rolls with maximum 1500 electors in a polling station. The draft roll with January 1, 2021 as the qualifying date will be published on November 16 and the final roll will be published on January 15. Therefore, the state election authorities have less than two months for rationalization of the polling stations and identifying additional polling stations. Beside soap, water and sanitizer at every entry and exit point one shaded waiting areas with chairs will have to be provided, for male and female separately, within the polling station premises so that voters can participate in voting without safety concerns. Circles for 15-20 persons of six feet distance for voters standing in the queue will be earmarked and help Desk to be provided for distribution of token to the voters of first come first basis so that they do not wait in the queue. Mandatory sanitization of polling Station will have to be carried out preferably, a day before the poll. Thermal Scanner will be kept at the entry point of every polling station location. Assam had 24,888 polling stations in 2016. This number is going to increase this time due to rationalization of the polling stations for COVID-19. The motto of ECI is "no voter to be left behind". Therefore, the COVID-19 patients who are quarantined will be allowed to cast their vote at the last hour of the poll day at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities, strictly following COVID-19 related preventive measures. The guidelines say that Sector Magistrates shall coordinate this in their allocated polling stations. In case of those voters who are residing in the area notified as containment zone, guidelines shall be issued separately. The option of Postal Ballot facility has been extended to the electors, who are marked as Persons with Disabilities, electors above the age of 80 years, electors employed in notified essential services and electors who are COVID- 19 positive/suspect and in quarantine (home/institutional). The ECI has also issued elaborate guidelines on electioneering by parties and candidates. Only five persons including the candidate will be allowed to carry out door-to-door campaign subject to any other COVID-19 restrictions. For road shows a convoy of vehicles shall be broken every after five vehicles (excluding the security vehicles) and the interval of two sets of convoys of vehicles should be half and hour. District Election Officer should in advance, identify dedicated grounds for public gathering, rallies and put markers to ensure physical distancing norms by attendees. The state has witnessed how rallies held by political parties, both ruling and opposition for campaigning for Bodoland Territorial Council elections the physical distancing norms, limit of maximum 100 people gathering at political rally have been blatantly flouted. The ECI guidelines say that the District Election Officer and District Superintendent of Police should ensure that the number of attendees does not exceed the limit prescribed by State Disaster Management Authority for public gatherings. The political parties must strictly adhere to the ECI guidelines which have been prepared after considering views and suggestions of the parties. They should give wide publicity to the guidelines among their workers, supporters, and electors. Nodal Health Officer to be designated for the State, the District and the Assembly Constituency will have huge responsibility to oversee COVID-19 related arrangements and preventive measures during entire electoral process. Online mode of nomination submission is expected to reduce the rush of candidates. Distribution and collection of election materials will take more time in 2021 Assembly polls as randomization of polling staff has been increased from 24 hours to 72 hours in order to avoid large gathering of polling staff at dispatch centres. Prior staggered time will be allocated to the polling teams for distribution/collection of election material. The ECI has laid down the norms of new normal of elections during pandemic. The onus is on the government, parties, candidates, and electors to ensure that these norms are strictly followed.