Bihar Polls 2020: Kit contains N95 mask, sanitizer and gloves to protect the employees on poll duty
The Election Commission has made special arrangements to protect its employees from contracting coronavirus during their election duty in Bihar where assembly elections will be held next month.
The poll body has provided a small kit containing N95 mask, sanitizer and gloves to protect the employees on poll duty in the state. The packet will also contain one safety keychain to avoid use of hands while pressing buttons.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, while announcing the poll dates today, said that special measures have been taken to ensure smooth conduct of the elections amid Covid crisis.
Extra voting hour, separate voting for Covid patients and no physical contact during the campaign are among the key changes the election body has made for the three-phased elections
"Covid patients who are quarantined will be able to cast their vote on the last day of poll, at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities. This is beside the option of postal facility already extended to them," said Mr Arora, adding the election will be "historic" as it is being held in the middle of the pandemic.
Last month, the Election Commission had announced a number of guidelines for elections in the country, where over 58 lakh people have contracted the virus.
These include door-to-door campaigns with only five people and gloves for voters, maximum of 1,000 voters at polling booth at a time, and screening of body temperature of every voter before the person is allowed to enter the polling booth. The rules also allow candidates to complete their paperwork online.
The assembly election in Bihar -- which will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and 7 and the results will be announced on November 10 -- is the first major election to be held in the middle of the worldwide coronavirus crisis.
Bihar has to elect a new 243-member assembly by November 29.