Page 60 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

42 INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF CONDUCTING ELECTIONS DURING COVID-19

• Arrange, where possible, regular airing of the premises (without any interruption of the voting
process).
• Provide for airing during the breaks from 2 PM to 4 PM on the days of early voting;

• Disinfect the surface of the voting box after the close of voting, as well as when organizing voting
at the location of the voter, after visiting each of them;

• If possible, voting at home shall be conducted without entering the residential premises and in
compliance with the principle of social distance, keeping a distance of at least 1 meter from each
other.

The CEC allocated the necessary funds for implementation of the above measures including supply
of personal protection equipment to the members of election commissions. In the context of the
coronavirus pandemic, the positive aspect is that the electoral legislation of Belarus provided for early
voting (within 5 days). It is aimed to reduce the number of voters in the voting room on Election Day
and, consequently, reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading.
As of August 6, 2020, about 4,300 voters in Belarus have been infected with COVID-19, and an even
larger number of citizens are in self-isolation (level 1 and 2 contacts that arrived from abroad). In order to
exercise the active suffrage of these citizens, the CEC adopted a decision on applying a special voting
procedure for them. Voters from this category could vote at the polling station located in a healthcare
facility, or on election day at their location (at home). If the voter wanted to vote at the polling station,
then his delivery and support would be organized by medical workers who are members of the contact
groups for the implementation of the medical supervision of patients at home. If a person wanted to
vote at home, then members of the precinct commission would go to him.
Due to a large number of accredited observers at the polling stations, the CEC was forced to limit the
number of people simultaneously present in the voting premises in order to maintain social distance
between citizens. Thus, during the early voting period, no more than 3 observers have been allowed to
be present in the voting room, and no more than 5 – on Election Day. Precinct commissions drew up
schedules for the presence of observers in the voting premises so that as many observers as possible
could perform their functions. This restriction did not apply to international observers, as well as
authorised representatives of presidential candidates, deputies of all levels, who also have the right
to observe.
There is a separate voting regime at polling stations established abroad. Each diplomatic mission
independently determines the procedure and conditions for voting based on the sanitary and
epidemiological situation in the host country.

Voter Turnout

A total of 5,818,955 voters cast their ballots. The Voter turnout during the presidential election
stood at 84.28% . The CEC held a session on 14 August to finalise the results of the presidential
election. Aleksandr Lukashenko was elected the president of Belarus.
Below are glimpses of the electoral process in Belarus:

A voter casts his ballot on Election Day.