STATE ELECTION COMMISSION ON

 LOCAL BODY POLLS CAMPAIGN

The State Election Commission has released stringent restrictions on campaigning for the local body elections scheduled to be held in December in the state. Only five persons including the candidate will be allowed for house-to-house campaigning observing all Covid-19 protocols.  Marches, crowds and celebrations marking the finale of the campaigns have been prohibited in the state. The candidates are advised to restrict the physical distribution of pamphlets and notices instead to make use of social media to reduce the contact. Prior permission should be taken from the Police for organising public meetings and a maximum of three vehicles are to be used for road shows and vehicle rallies.

Covid patients and people in quarantine will be allowed postal ballots, however there are practical difficulties in issuing postal ballots to those who are in quarantine on the days immediately preceding the elections. A solutions to this will be worked out through discussions with Health authorities. Allowing the patients and the quarantined to cast their votes in the last hours of voting seems to be impractical as this may put the polling officials at risk.