Changes in voting: an identity document will not be enough



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According to her, those who are in isolation for the aforementioned reasons and who want to vote at home must inform the CEC in advance.

“The Central Election Commission, after verifying that people are in fact in self-isolation, will provide and inform the members of the electoral commissions accordingly that more protective equipment should be prepared and used when voting at home, not just a medical mask, a respirator or gloves or disinfection hand, we are already talking about suits and other protective measures to protect not only the members of the commissions, but also the voters who come to the members of the commissions, ”he said. at a press conference this Tuesday.

L. Matijošaitytė also ensures that the CEC, when requesting funding for the elections, did not estimate that they would have to be carried out in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, therefore, an additional 3 million. euros. The money will be used both for various security measures and to pay for additional work for the commissions, as early voting will also be extended, which will take place from Monday to Thursday.

“We have asked the Government, as well as the Ministry of Finance, an additional allocation of more than 3 million additional funds, since it will increase the number of early voting days in municipalities and instead of the voting days now available on Wednesdays and Thursday from 8 am to 8 pm we will have a vote – in the next few days the commission will make a decision – from Monday to Thursday, starting at 7 am in the morning, that is, one hour before, until 8 at night “, said.

Voting will also take place not only in municipal buildings, as before, but also in other previously prepared premises; municipalities are currently looking for such premises.

In polling stations with more than 3,000. voters, additional voting facilities will be established, requiring more commission members.

According to the president of the CEC, it is not foreseen how many people will be able to be at the voting table, but the commissions are obliged to ensure that voters maintain a safe distance from the subway, as well as control the flows of voters, allowing them to enter through a door if possible. Gloves are not mandatory.

According to L. Matijošaitytė, the three main attributes that every voter must bring to the election are a face mask, a respirator or other means that covers the face, an identity document and a writing instrument.

Among other things, to verify the identity of a voter, voters may be asked to remove their mask for up to 10 seconds. If the voter does not have their own writing instrument, it will be provided; the bales will be constantly disinfected.

L. Matijošaitytė assured that voters’ temperature would not be monitored, but that those with obvious symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections would be escorted to separate rooms and doctors would be called.

It also stipulates that voters over 70 or disabled may only vote at home for two days, on Friday and Saturday.

The Government Chancellor, Algirdas Stončaitis, stressed that currently 6.7 thousand people have been isolated by coronavirus. individuals and there may be more during elections. According to him, special algorithms will be developed on how to respond to various challenges.

“There is a lot of time to prepare for a month,” he said.

The chancellor also said that those without masks will be given them during the vote.

Rolanda Lingienė, head of the Vilnius department of the National Public Health Center (NVSC), emphasized that much attention will be paid to communication about safety, so that those experiencing symptoms cannot go to the polls and must do so at home.

“The information would be proactive, it is repeated often, because I know from experience, that without words, this information does not reach all groups of people, but it must reach all adults in Lithuania,” he said.

The Seimas amendments also allowed a portion of overseas voters to vote electronically, but the CEC says it failed to prepare for it. This would be allowed in cases where it is not possible for a diplomatic or consular office in another foreign country to conduct a live vote.

“These processes create a safe and reliable electronic voting system, which would not compromise the elections, it cannot be prepared in such a short period of time,” explained L. Matijošaitytė.

Elections to the Seimas in Lithuania will be held on October 11



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