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Electoral Commission sets procedures for polling

Staff Reporter (Indian Newslink)
Auckland, May 12, 2020

Chief Electoral Officer Alicia Wright

The Electoral Commission has announced a series of new safety measures that would be in force for General Election and Referendums 2020 due to be held on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

As well as choosing the next government, New Zealand will be asked to express their opinions on the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill and the End of Life Choice Act 2019.

Chief Electoral Officer Alicia Wright said that these measures would reflect the risks posed by Covid-19 which compelled the government to issue Epidemic Notification and invoke the provisions of the Health Act and four Alert Levels.

New Zealand will enter Alert Level Two on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

Health requirements

Mr Wright said that changes will comply with the public health requirements of Coronavirus.

“Safety measures at voting places will be based on advice from the Ministry of Health. They include queue management and physical distancing, as well as the use of hand sanitiser and protective gear,” she said.

While the actual polling is on Saturday, September 19, 2020, advance polling will he held two days earlier instead of September 5, 2020 planned earlier, mainly to reduce congestion.

Ms Wright said that some people will not be able to go to a voting place, but will able to vote. 

Seniors and unwell people

Voters who are older or have a medical condition that places them at high risk from Covid-19 can choose to vote at a voting place or register for postal voting and have their voting papers sent to them in the mail.

“Voting services can also be delivered to small clusters of voters who are in isolation during the voting period using takeaway voting, which is when voting papers are delivered and picked up. It is important for people to enrol early and keep their details up to date so that they receive information about the election and referendums in the mail including an EasyVote card which makes voting faster,” Ms Wright said.

For more information on Covid-19 and the Election, please visit vote.nz/covid19.

 

Safety factors

Following are key points of the Electoral Commission Circular: (a) There will be measures in place at voting places to help keep voters and election workers safe (b) Queues will be managed to maintain physical distancing (c) Voters will be asked to use hand sanitiser when they enter and leave the voting place (d) Voters can bring their own pen to mark their voting papers but pens available (e) Election staff issuing votes will wear protective gear (f) Voting for people who need to stay at home (g) In-person voting may not be suitable for voters who are older or have a medical condition that places them at high risk from Covid-19. Instead, they will be able to choose to vote at a voting place or register for postal voting (h) Voting papers will be sent to them in the mail which they will be able to return by post or to a nearby voting place.

People who go into isolation during the voting period will be able to use takeaway voting, where voting papers are delivered and picked up. 

Rest Homes And Hospitals

The Electoral Commission is working on the assumption that it is unlikely that people will be able to visit rest homes or hospitals to provide voting services. 

The officials will work with managers at hospitals and rest homes to arrange delivery and pick-up of voting papers (takeaway voting).

Voting in Prisons

Election Commission officials will work with the Department of Corrections to provide voting services either in person, through mobile teams, or by delivering and picking up voting papers (takeaway voting). Voting services will be provided to prisoners on remand and, if the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill is passed, prisoners sentenced to less than three years will be eligible to vote.

Overseas Voters

The easiest way to vote from overseas is to download and print voting papers and return them by upload. The service is only available to people outside New Zealand who are correctly enrolled. 

Voters who are overseas may also be able to vote at an overseas voting place, depending on the availability of overseas posts and the situation with Covid-19 in that location.  

The Electoral Commission will provide information about overseas voting places in early August.  Overseas voters will have the option of receiving and returning their voting papers by post. 

The Election and Referendums will be held on September 19, 2020, as announced by the Prime Minister. If there is a change, the Electoral Commission will reschedule various tasks.

Covid-19 Alert Levels

Planning for the election is based on meeting the requirements of a nationwide Alert Level 2 for Covid-19.  Voting services can be delivered to small clusters of up to 500 voters affected by local Alert Levels 3 or 4, to a maximum of 5000 voters nationwide, using takeaway voting. 

If an outbreak occurs in a large area of the country during the voting period, there are emergency powers available to the Chief Electoral Officer to delay election day voting by up to seven days at a time. The safety of delivering an election at a nationwide Alert Levels 3 or 4 is a public health decision that would need to be taken by the Government.

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