COVID-19 Patients Can Vote In Odisha Bypolls Tomorrow; Details Of Arrangements Here

Bhubaneswar: COVID-19 patients wearing PPE gears can vote in the by-election to Balasore and Tirtol Assembly constituencies in the state on Tuesday.

Chief Election Officer (CEO) SK Lohani, however, advised them against going to the booths. The voters will have to undergo thermal screening and those with high body temperature will be given a token to cast their vote at the end, he added.

Important Takeaways from the presser

>> In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of booths in Tirtol has been increased from 265 to 373 and those in Balasore to 346 from 198.

>> 86 booths in Balasore and 155 in Tirtol have been identified as ‘sensitive’.

>> A maximum of 1,000 voters will be allowed at each polling station to cast their vote to ensure social distancing.

>> Only healthy polling officers will be deployed for conducting voting and other arrangements.

>> Duty officer will be provided with PPE kit, voters will be given gloves.

>> The booths will be sanitized frequently during the polling.

>> Around 3500 polling staff, ASHA workers and volunteers will carry out sanitisation and health screening of voters before their entry into polling stations.

>> Those having their names in voters’ list but do not have voter ID  can use any of the 11 identity cards to cast their vote.

>> A thick blanket of security cover will be in place for the smooth conduct of the polls in with deployment of six companies of central force, 90 platoons of police force and 251 officers.