According to the expert, during this year’s elections, the necessary distance between people will not be observed. For the first time, voting will take place in a pandemic. The launch of ballots and the organization in the sections will be done according to new rules, believes Diana Eftimova from the Institute for Development of the Public Environment.
“The risks of voting in a pandemic are related to the health situation. There are requirements that there should be no gathering of voters in and around the sections. The health protocol sets the framework under which the process should take place, we expect from the Central Election Commission clarifications on how it will be organized and compliance with the measures.”
Eftimova explained that the problem comes from the fact that a large part of the sections in the country are located in schools. She specified that the size of the classrooms varies between 40 and 50 square meters. According to her, there will be no observance of distance, especially when counting the votes. The specialist explained that the Sectional Election Commissions consist of 5 to 9 people who are present during the counting. She added that all parties have said they will register large networks of advocates, who also have the right to be present at the count. According to her:
“In the last parliamentary elections, these people were 85,000 people. According to the CEC, there will be 12,400 polling stations for this election. Dividing 85,000, you get an additional 7 people.”
Diana Eftimova was adamant that a serious organization was needed. She explained that during election day, the requirements are to allow people to be at a distance of 1.5 meters. According to her, there will be dark rooms where, according to the prescriptions of the health protocol, they are positioned so that the voters do not have to open and close them themselves. She specified:
„The entrance to the dark room should be to a wall in the room.“
The expert added that about 800 mobile ballot boxes will be needed at these levels of morbidity and if you want to vote. Eftimova noted that the health protocol contains prescriptions and requirements that must be observed when voting for those infected with COVID-19. She said that according to the CEC, the parties submit a certain amount of reserves to the PEC. A decision is being considered to include some of these reserves in the mobile section committees and to vaccinate them. According to her:
„Vaccination of some of the district commissions has already begun.“
