BREAKING!! INEC PUBLISHES GUIDELINES FOR ELECTIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

VOTING IN SAFETY

 Voters Code of Conduct (VCC) for Elections During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

1. Wearing of face mask at Polling Units and all election locations is mandatory. Please make provision for your own face mask. Face masks must be worn at all times, but an election official may request you to lower your mask for proper identification when necessary.
2. a) Voting starts by 8.30 am and stops at 2.30 pm.

b)      There shall be two queues formed at each polling location (Polling Unit or Voting Point). The first queue (the outer queue) will be outside, from which an election official shall bring voters into the voting area in batches. The second queue (the inner queue) will be formed in the voting area.

c)      By 2.30 pm, an election official shall stand at the end of the outer queue indicating that the queue is closed. Any voter on the outer queue by 2.30 pm shall be allowed to vote.

d)     Queues must be orderly and voters on a queue must maintain a distance of 2 meters (6 feet) from each other.                     

3. Any voter showing symptoms of COVID-19 such as high temperature, coughing, sneezing, etc. will be requested to leave the queue or voting area and shall be attended to by designated officials. Please obey all directives by the officials to keep yourself and others safe. Report any health emergencies urgently to an official at the Polling Unit.
4. Avoid unnecessary touching of surfaces or leaning on walls and other surfaces at the Polling Unit. You may request for hand sanitizer which will be given to you if available.
5. An election official may ask to clean your fingers with an antiseptic before your fingerprint is read with the Smart Card Reader.
6. Please show your voters’ card to election officials whenever you are requested to do so.
7. After you cast your vote, move away from the voting area. If you wish to observe the counting of votes and announcement of result, you will be directed by an election official on where to stay.
8. Please ensure that you go away with your used protective materials such as face masks and hand gloves. Do not litter the polling unit!
9. Remember that cell phones or any other device that can take pictures are still not allowed in the voting cubicles.
10. Please obey all directives issued by election officials, including security officials, and be orderly at all times. INEC shall not tolerate assault of any election official and you may be prosecuted for doing so.