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“The three main attributes that every voter must have on Election Day are a medical mask, a respirator or a protective device that covers the nose and mouth, and the person must have an identity document and a writing instrument. these are three attributes that every voter should have and think about before voting, ”said L. Matjošaitytė.
You can ask to have your mask removed
According to her, voters must disinfect their hands before entering polling stations. Voters must also maintain a distance of at least one meter while waiting in line for the voting station.
“If a member of the electoral commission asks if it is really the same person, he can ask to remove his mask for up to 10 seconds. After receiving the ballots, he goes to the voting table and marks them with his writing instrument. If you don’t have a pen, you will be provided with a reusable pen that needs to be disinfected regularly, ”he said.
President of the Central Electoral Commission Laura Matjošaitytė, photo by I. Gelūnas / Fotobankas
According to the president of the CEC, there should be additional space at the voting station if a person develops acute symptoms of a respiratory infection. At that time, the President of the Election Commission will ensure that members of the Election Commission and observers with obvious signs of acute upper respiratory infection are not admitted to the voting station.
Voters at risk are advised to go to the polls to vote from 7 pm to 9 pm in the morning.
“Will we check the voters’ temperature? We will definitely not check the temperature. If a person with obvious respiratory symptoms comes to the voting station, they will be asked to wait in the extra room and an ambulance will be called and the person will not participate in the process ”, said the president of the CEC.
The CEC recalls that at-risk voters are advised to go to the polls from 7 am to vote. until 9 pm in the morning.
Voters are advised to come to the polling station one at a time, except for close relatives, spouses, adoptive parents, adoptive parents, and guardians. It is not recommended to bring or accompany people who do not vote in that polling station to the polling station.
Publications issued by the CEC should not be distributed on Election Day. Candidate lists would be shown to voters at the polls, whose surfaces would have to be disinfected periodically.
These are the three attributes that every voter should have and think about before voting.
The recommendations of the Ministry of Health regarding proper hand hygiene and etiquette when coughing and sneezing should also be displayed at polling stations.
It is recommended that members of election commissions disinfect their hands after contact with each voter, but at least every 2 hours. wash your hands with liquid soap and warm running water, avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. with your hands, follow coughing and sneezing etiquette.
The members of the electoral commissions seated between the different tables in the voting room should be separated by at least 2 meters from each other, if possible.
“In the event that partitions of at least 90 centimeters wide and 140 centimeters high are installed between the tables, the distance between the tables may be such that a distance of at least 1 meter is maintained between the members of the electoral commissions It is recommended, if possible, to install a partition in front of the table between the members of the commission and the voters, “says the description.
At that time, the municipal administrations must provide voting tables, inventory for voter service: tables, chairs, etc. – preparation and ventilation, cleaning and disinfection of the electoral college.
Photo by K. Kovalėlis / Fotobankas
He will ask for an additional 3 million. euros
The CEC appealed to the Government and the Ministry of Finance, requesting more than 3 million. for the organization of the next elections to the Seimas in the context of the threat of the coronavirus.
“In preparation for these elections, the Central Electoral Commission planned an estimate accordingly and did not estimate that we would hold the elections in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respectively, for this reason, the CEC reviewed the current situation, reviewed the amount of funds allocated and, after evaluating the entire situation with the members of the commission, approached the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as the Ministry of Finance. additional funds, ”said L. Matijošaitytė, president of the CEC, at a government press conference on Tuesday.
The president of the CEC reported that additional funds would be needed due to the increase in the number of days and hours for early voting.
“In fact, the number of early voting days will increase in municipalities. Instead of voting early from Wednesday to Thursday in municipal buildings from 8 am in the morning until 8 pm in the afternoon we will have a vote ( …) from Monday to Thursday and from 7:00 p.m. in the morning until 8:00 p.m. at night, “he said
L. Matijošaitytė also announces that the number of seats for early voting will be increased.
“The amendments to the Seimas Elections Law, approved on June 30, provide the opportunity to organize voting not only in municipal buildings, not only in buildings where the office of the mayor or director of administration is located, but also in other additional premises prepared previously “, pointed out L. Matijošaitytė.
According to the president of the CEC, funds will be needed for the establishment of additional polling stations in polling stations with more than 3,000 seats. the voters, as well as the income, will be used for the salaries of the members of the additional electoral commissions.
L. Matijošaitytė reports that the Ministry of Health is in charge of protection measures for voters who will go to vote without face masks.
“These safeguards are served by the Ministry of Health and we hope to receive them on time from the state reserve,” he said.
There is no possibility to vote electronically
Lithuanians living abroad will not be able to vote online in the October elections to Seimas, CEC President L. Matjošaitytė said at a press conference held in the government on Tuesday.
“On June 30, the last day of the spring session, the Lithuanian Seimas adopted amendments to the law, which provide for the possibility of organizing elections abroad electronically. However, only in cases where it would not be possible conduct a live vote in a foreign state, diplomatic mission or consular post. In this case, the CEC should have the ability to organize voting in specific countries by mail only or electronically, by sending voter codes by mail and connecting to the website of the CEC ”, recalled the president of the CEC.
But maybe by 2024 we will have these solutions. We may even all vote electronically.
However, continued L. Matjošaitytė, it was not possible to create a reliable system to guarantee that possibility. Therefore, she emphasized, the election of parliamentarians online for citizens living abroad may be possible unless during the next Seimas elections.
“A secure and reliable electronic voting system that does not compromise elections cannot be developed in such a relatively short period of time. And we do not have a single foreign state that would have implemented such a decision in a matter of months. As it is not enough to prepare regulations , the system has to be tested many times, ”said L. Matjošaitytė, citing it as the main reason why Lithuanians living abroad will have to vote in the usual way.
“Today, the CEC has not created the solution that allows you to vote abroad electronically or for people in Lithuania to vote in isolation. But maybe by 2024 we will have these solutions. Maybe we will all vote electronically ”, summarized the president of the CEC.
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