Page 161 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

SRI LANKA 143

An election officer works through a voting drill
at a school in preparation for the election

• Queue of the voters should be arranged in such a way not to get too closer to officials or other
voters.

• Voters shall be provided with hand washing facilities at the entrance and all voters shall wash or
sanitize their hands before entering the polling booth and wear masks.
• All officers shall wear masks and wash their hands before entering the polling booth.
• Officers shall not touch the identity card or the polling card of the voter, instead shall ask the
voter to show it. If touched sanitize hands immediately thereafter.
• If finger marking is practiced ask the voter to hold the fisted left hand with the little finger out
without touching the table. Paint the finger with a cotton bud and dispose it to a closed bin.
Alternatively a drop of paint could be placed on the finger tip.
• Sanitize the voting box each hour including the pen used for voting.
• Employ a separate worker to push the ballot papers in to the ballot box with a ruler. If the ruler or
the person changes the ruler shall be sanitized.
• All hand washing points shall be provided with tissues for wiping the hands.
• Provide adequate numbers of bins (with a polythene bag inside the bin) to discard the used
tissues.

• Medical Officer of Health (MOH) staff shall sanitize the center after the voting is over.
Conducting election in the quarantine centers

Conducting election in the quarantine centers Procedure for conducting the election is the same as
that of polling booths with the following additional measures.

• All officers shall wear the full protective PPE (surgical mask, gloves, face shields, full body cover
and boots) before entering the election hall and remove it only after the session is over.
• Agents shall wear face shields in addition to the face mask and keep 2 meter distance with voters
instead of one meter.
• All sides of the ballot box shall be sanitized after the session and then sealed and put in the
polythene bag.
Counting center etiquette

• All staff and everyone entering shall wear masks.
• All staff and everyone entering the hall shall be checked for body temperature and anyone having
temperature above 370C or 98.40F shall not be allowed inside.
• Select and arrange the venue in such a way to maintain one-meter distance between counting