Vote with disinfected masks and pencils, anti-Covid seats in Puglia. But 50% of the presidents of seats surrender

Mandatory mask in polling stations, disinfected pencils after each vote, differentiated paths: these are some of the prevention measures provided by the ASL of Apulia to guarantee safety and limit the risk of contagion of coronavirus during the elections. The Local Health Authorities of Apulia, coordinated by the Region and the Prefectures, have developed an anti-Covid health and safety protocol that will be applied during the referendum, the regional and municipal elections that will take place on Sunday 20 and Monday 21 September .

This is confirmed by a note from the Puglia region. “To prevent the risk of contagion and at the same time ensure the correct development of electoral operations – it reads – the Prevention services of Asl Bari, in agreement with the Prefectures, have proposed a model with operational and preventive methods for the installation of schools electoral elections, voting operations, for the members of the seats and to guarantee the right to vote also for citizens in quarantine, fiduciary isolation and in domiciliary treatment, with special seats ”.

At the polling station, each voter must wear the surgical mask. Pencils must be sanitized at the end of each voting operation. There will be limited access to the buildings that house the seats, through external waiting areas and differentiated entry and exit routes with special vertical and horizontal signs. The seats must also guarantee a distance of not less than 1 meter between the components of the seats and the voters, as well as the exchange of air and natural ventilation.

The arrangement of the voting booths should also facilitate the movement of voters to avoid gatherings. Voters, members of the polling stations and representatives of the list, who accesses the polling stations, must wear a surgical mask. Dispensers with sanitizing products should be placed at the entrance of the building and in each of the seats. Voters must sanitize their hands before receiving the ballot and pencil and, after voting, before leaving the voting station. Finally, the periodic cleaning of tables, voting booths and toilets is foreseen.

The voter should not leave the house or go to the voting table in case of respiratory symptoms or body temperature above 37.5 °; contact with people positive for Covid-19 in the last 14 days; mandatory quarantine or home isolation.

In Puglia, for the regional elections of next September 20 and 21, around 50% of the electoral counters and presidents have resigned their appointment: they will be replaced by reserves or by civil protection volunteers. This was announced by the Bari prefecture, which is evaluating the most appropriate solutions for the regular conduct of the vote next Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, the Policlinico di Bari “the only health center in the province” will provide “the collection of the vote and the counting of the ballots” for the voters infected by Covid-19, according to the report prepared by the electoral office of the municipality. of Bari where the establishment of “three special seats” is foreseen that will collect the vote of those who are in domiciliary quarantine, of those that are in fiduciary isolation who will vote while they remain at home.