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CCA chief L. Matjošaitytė told Seimas members that in April he submitted a request to the Ministry of Justice with a package of proposals.
“The COVID-19 pandemic poses many challenges for organizing elections worldwide. (…) In late April, we presented proposals to the Ministry of Justice for the necessary amendments. It was proposed to provide more polling stations, a greater number of days of early voting, to extend voting time on Election Day and create additional voting opportunities for voters at risk, and increase the number of days of voting at home.
The Ministry of Justice has presented a draft amendment to the Seimas Elections Law, “said the CCA President in the Seimas Room.
She said that all offers will be delivered in the near future.
L. Matjošaitytė also defined the possible procedure for the October elections.
“We are currently working on a new order. He discussed the following measures: disinfection of polling stations across the country, control of the body temperature of all who voted, and separate voting booths for fever. The obligation of both members of the electoral commission and voters to wear face masks and protective gloves at the polling place, ”said the CCA president.
Attempts will also be made to ensure compliance with social distance and flow management in polling stations.
There is also the issue of writing instruments: voters may have to bring their own writing instrument, or these instruments would be issued to each voter.
It has not yet been answered whether each voter will be provided with the necessary protective equipment: a face mask and protective gloves. If necessary, the CCA will request more funds from the Ministry of Finance.
Seimas members asked CCA presidents what would be done if participation was less than 25 percent due to the pandemic.
“We hope that our citizens will also actively use their civil rights in these elections,” said L. Matjošaitytė.
“If less than 25 percent of voters participate in elections in a multi-member constituency, in accordance with the provision of the Seimas Elections Act, re-elections to Seimas will be held no later than half a year later. However, there has been no such electoral activity in the history of Lithuania, even in the most difficult years ”, L. Matjoštaitytė answered the questions asked by the parliamentarians.
The CEC appealed to the Government to guarantee the necessary guarantees for the members of the electoral commission throughout Lithuania.
L. Matjoštaitytė stated that online voting means could not be guaranteed in the Seimas elections to be held in October. Because the system is not ready.
“Online voting can only be introduced gradually, taking into account all the circumstances,” said the CEC president.
“The next elections should be considered, we have many risks today. If we create an incorrect system, the question would arise about the legitimacy of all the elections,” said L. Matjošaitytė.
The CEC president said South Korea’s example when the elections took place during the pandemic was encouraging.
“Although low voter participation is one of the risks of organizing elections during a coronavirus pandemic, the South Korean example shows that this risk can be managed through the use of personal protection measures,” said L. Matjošaitytė in Seimas.
And he recalled the case of South Korea, when a record number of voters participated in the April elections.
Delphi remember that the elections to Seimas will be held on October 11.
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