IO – Elections Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum – “KPU”) Commissioner Ilham Saputra has confirmed that the Commission has prepared various anticipatory steps to evade COVID-19 infection during the 2020 Regional Elections. KPU Regulation Number 6 of 2020 concerning the Simultaneous Advanced Elections of Governor and Vice Governor, Regent and Vice Regent and/or Mayor and Vice Mayor in the Non-Natural Disaster Condition of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) describes various efforts for the purpose, starting from increasing the number of polling stations (tempat pemungutan suara – “TPS”) to the implementation of health protocols meant to prevent COVID-19 transmission in each TPS. “The Elections Law stipulated a maximum of 800 persons may be present at the same time in each TPS. We reduce the number in the KPU Regulation to 500 persons to disperse crowds,” Ilham said.
Ilham further stated that the KPU has already engaged in mass socialization with the public about the importance of strictly implementing in TPS during the 2020 Regional Elections. “KPU has deployed many volunteers for democracy to socialize the implementation of electoral health protocols at community levels. Therefore, the people will be ready to vote in TPS with full knowledge of our protocols and readiness to implement them,” he said. “KPU’s socialization of electoral health protocols during voting is being held in 270 regions throughout Indonesia, covering 224 regencies and 37 municipalities in nine provinces.”
- KPU sets the following regulations in the 2020 Simultaneous Region- al Elections
- The arrival time of voters to TPS.
- Staff of Polling Station must be in perfect health.
- Prohibition for voters to be too physically close to each other.
- Obligation for voters and electoral officials to wear face masks.
- Prohibition against voters and electoral staff shaking hands.
- Obligation to undergo tempera- ture checks before entering the TPS.
- Washing hands before entering and exiting TPS.
- The TPS will provide dry tissues for voters to dry off their hands after washing.
- When voting, voters must wear gloves and use their own writing implements.
- Voting booths are disinfected each time a voter finishes voting.
- Citizens with voting rights who are ill and cannot go to the TPS will be provided with special booths.
KPU will use drop ink to mark voters who have voted. (Dan)