Page 59 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

BELARUS 41

In order to prevent the spread of respiratory
infections (including COVID-19), voters were
advised to wear personal protective gear (face
masks, gloves). An ID had to be presented in
an open form; an ID was not handed over to
members of election commission. Voters were
also recommended to use their own pens to fill
in their ballot.
Polling stations at the Belarus presidential
election opened at 8:00 and closed at 20:00.
To begin with, the Central Election Commission
organized an internet broadcast of its meetings
on the official website. This arrangement allowed
observers, media representatives, and voters to
oversee the adoption of legal acts by the CEC
without the need to be present directly at its
meetings, and expose themselves to the risk
of infection. The same recommendations on
the procedure for the holding of meetings were
given to the lower territorial commissions and the
parent state bodies.

The law stipulates that at least 100,000 voter
signatures must be collected in order to nominate
a presidential candidate. Signatures are collected through conducting pickets, as well as making door-
to-door inquiries. By the decision of the CEC, members of the initiative groups for collecting signatures
were required to use personal protection equipment (masks, gloves, and sanitizers).
In addition, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus has developed the following safety
guidelines for members of precinct commissions, observers and voters:

• To examine state of health of each member of the precinct commission.. and allow for participating
in the work without signs of any respiratory infection (high body temperature, coughing, sneezing,
etc).
- to ensure that members of the precinct commission possess and use protective equipment
(masks, gloves, face shields if possible), hand and surface sanitizers;
- to ensure that the principle of social distance is respected while placing tables and chairs
for members of the precinct commission, seats for observers, room for voters, ensuring a
distance of at least 1 meter apart.
- to ensure the availability of skin disinfectants/hand sanitizers in public areas (corridors,
halls, etc.), as well as monitoring of regular refilling of dispensers;
- if possible, to separate entering and exiting persons by placing appropriate signs on the
floor, doors, or walls;
- to recommend that voters wear personal protection equipment (masks, gloves) when
visiting the polling station, as well as use these means when voting at their location (at
home) is organized for them. At the request of a precinct commission member, the voter
shall move the mask and show the face for the identification;

• The voters shall present a document confirming their identity in an unfolded form, to show the
necessary pages on their own, without handing the document over to a member of the precinct
commission;
• The voters shall use their own pens to put a signature acknowledging receipt of the ballot in the
list of citizens eligible to vote, as well as to fill in the ballot;
• Ensure that pens are disinfected after each voter;

• Organize regular disinfection of door handles, railings, surfaces in voting booths, tables, etc (at
least 6 times during election day). To ensure that the premises where voting is held are wet
cleaned during the break from 2 PM to 4 PM on the days of early voting. To recommend keeping
the doors to the voting room and other areas through which voters move open;