Page 189 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES 171

Issues and Challenges

With over 24 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 0.8 million deaths
in 216 countries across the world (WHO Data as on 27th August,2020) COVID-19 continues
to pose unprecedented challenges to the humanity across the world in the year 2020. While it has
carried massive adverse impact on all sectors of governance, elections work too has taken the hit.
Over seventy eight national and sub-national elections have been postponed in different countries
due to impact of COVID-19. Yet there are over thirty eight elections which have been successfully
conducted by different countries on time or after adjustments in electoral schedules. Some of the
success experiences have been discussed in this document. The elections conducted and the elections
postponed, both present a tremendous learning ground for the stakeholders in terms of issues and
challenges in conduct of elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Broad Areas of Concern

Broad areas of concern emanating from COVID-19, Government response to contain the pandemic,
the need for COVID-19 safe elections and consequential impact on electoral process in changed
environment relate to time schedules as per extant laws, election planning, scale of operations,
logistics, costs, training, voter education, stakeholder confidence, campaigns, media including social
media, legislative and legal complexities, voter turnouts etc besides issues relating to electoral integrity
in many countries.
Difficult Choices

Regular and periodic elections constitute the key component of democratic polity. Elections across the
democracies proceed as per a well defined pre-settled path with advance planning and preparations
that begin sufficiently early. All the parameters are settled well on time as per respective legal and
legislative framework. Stakeholder confidence, a critical component in the process, is integrated
through comprehensive consultations in advance. Voter education exercise too begins well in advance.
The pandemic and the resultant impact has caused an unprecedented pressure in different countries
in making a choice as to whether to conduct or postpone scheduled elections. Making a choice in the
given environment is not an easy task for the fear of controversies either way.

Striking a balance between these two choices is complex and difficult.

COVID-19 Safe Election Protocols

Restrictions imposed under Public Health Care legislations, Disaster Management and Safety
Regulations play an important part in evolving Government response to COVID-19. At the core, it may
comprise of safety of populations through enhanced public health care systems, harsh and massive
‘lockdowns’ in public interest, maintenance of essential services, severe movement restrictions, social
distancing, and closure of all socio economic activities excepting essential services and enforcement
agencies.

Conduct of COVID-19 Safe elections is a critical factor. COVID-19 Safety Protocols have to be drawn up
by harmonization of the statutory and non statutory guidelines emanating from legislative instruments
on public health and safety on one hand and the law relating to the elections on the other.

Election Postponement

Any postponement of elections would require a careful examination on justification in the light of
the legal and legislative framework. Stakeholder consultation, consensus and stakeholder confidence,
transparency are important elements in the process. Fresh election schedules should be drawn as soon
as possible with stakeholder consultation and transparency and publicized lest it should create more
complications.