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During the first round of the Seimas elections, there were almost 30,000 people in self-isolation in Lithuania. people. About 1,600 of them registered to vote in the elections, but so many voters caused a headache for members of the electoral commissions that they had to visit each of those voters at home.
As of Tuesday, there were already 34,000 in Lithuania. The number of people subject to mandatory self-isolation is likely to rise until the second round of elections on October 25. Then the problem can get worse.
When asked on Tuesday what the Health Minister plans to do to make it easier for those in isolation to vote in the second round, the Health Minister said it is not a question for him. He repeatedly reiterated that it would not be possible for people in self-isolation to vote from the car, as suggested by the Vilnius City Municipality during the first round.
Regarding the Vilnius Municipality idea, I have already commented that we cannot violate certain infection control requirements.
“It just came to our attention then. It should be referred to the CEC. It is our job to advise, advise and help put together mechanisms so that members of the commissions or people do not infect each other when they come to the polls.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Aurelijus Veryga
Regarding the Vilnius Municipality idea, I have already commented that we cannot violate certain infection control requirements.
I may be very dilettante, but as I understand it, it’s more of a problem here that people who, like, say, want to vote at home later than Wednesday, can exercise that right, and it depends more on the ability of the committee members. electoral to go and vote at home. I hope that the first round will draw certain conclusions and that people can exercise their constitutional right, ”said A. Veryga, but did not deliver his proposals on how to solve the problem.
The order adjusts
For her part, Laura Matjošaitytė, president of the CEC, senses that the problem may worsen during the second round of the elections and is preparing for it.
“We plan to announce to all those in self-isolation on Wednesday, through the available means and through the media, that those who want to vote at home can now start registering. We plan to change the registration form with us inside to make it easy to register, there will be no challenges.
Another thing will be a request for self-isolating people who isolate themselves elsewhere, in another county, another municipality, not by their declared place of residence, to register before Tuesday – 20 days, and to isolate themselves by a declared place – Wednesday – for 21 days. If it happened that from Thursday to Friday someone went into self-isolation to apply only on those days, and we would already have information about those in self-isolation at 21 days and we would have already handed over most of them to the commissions, “said L. Matjošaitytė.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / Renata Požėla, Laura Matjošaitytė
If you don’t open the door, notify the police
According to her, to eliminate misunderstandings when voters say they have not received members of the commission and the latter have not found self-isolators at home, the procedure will also be changed and the commission members will be required to register the visit.
We are considering that if the door is not opened, the voter will be called, now not all voters have left their contacts, we will ask you to indicate them at the time of registration. If the person does not answer, does not open the door, the police will be informed and the information will be recorded, ”said the president of the CEC.
According to L. Matjošaitytė, now there have been a lot of misunderstandings and the search for blame, when citizens complained about not receiving the commission members, and the latter were also offended, so the mistakes must be corrected.
It is true that, until now, the CEC still counts how many people in self-isolation voted and how many registered, but could not vote. The commission interprets each case separately.
“I don’t have those numbers one by one. Colleagues are working with those numbers and the information provided by White Gloves. Some cases are duplicates. We have cases where people came back from abroad on Saturday and approached the commission. Each The case is unique and the circumstances are different. We explain to everyone, because it is important for us to understand where the problem is here, so that we can anticipate it in the second round and the voters who want to vote at home are visited, “said L. Matjošaitytė .
A moving point in voting would be helpful in advance.
Starting this week, people in isolation can take their pets outside for fifteen minutes after contact with a COVID-19 patient.
L.Matjošaitytė admits that a mobile voting point before the vote would be very useful.
“If we were talking about early voting, then in theory that option would be possible, because during early voting, voters vote in any constituency, regardless of the declared location. It is only necessary to find a place where the members of the commissions are also protected, to separate the flows of self-isolates from the flow of people who simply vote in advance, ”he said.
If we were to talk about early voting, then in theory that option would be possible.
On the day of the elections, it is true that this point would no longer be open, since the legal regulations would not allow it.
“On Election Day, voting takes place only on the territory of one’s constituency, for example, in Vilnius with a mobile point for isolated people from Vilnius and elsewhere, from districts, from Kaunas, Panevėžys, which now they are isolated in Vilnius, it would be like an early vote. ” – explained L. Matjošaitytė.
It would also be difficult and difficult for people in self-isolation to open a constituency in each constituency, since it is no longer possible to open a new constituency less than 110 days before the elections.
Furthermore, the question is whether there will be committee members who agree to work in dangerous conditions.
“It just came to our notice then. The only option would be a certain place for early voting,” said L. Matjošaitytė.
She acknowledges that the CEC would be willing to avoid the problems of the first round and find a solution that is fair and legal for all.
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