Bihar Election 2020: EC’s Guidelines for First State Election amid Covid-19

New Delhi: Bihar election 2020 will be the first Assembly election to be held amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, dates of which will be announced by the Election Commission of India on Friday.

In August, the EC released a standard guideline to conduct polls and by polls amid the pandemic. The below-mentioned guidelines would be followed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Here are the guidelines:

• There would be restrictions on door-to-door campaigning. Only five, including the candidate but excluding the security personnel, are allowed for door-to-door campaigning

• The convoy of vehicles will have a maximum of 5 vehicles

• The interval between two sets of a convoy of vehicles should be half an hour instead of a gap of 100 meters

• Wearing masks during all election-related activities is mandatory

• All polling booths will have the facility of thermal screening, soaps and sanitizers

• Large rooms and halls will be identified as polling booths so that social distancing can be maintained

• A polling station can have a maximum of 1,000 voters

• Candidates can download nomination forms online and take a print of the same for submitting

• Affidavits can also be filled online

• There is a facility for allowing security money to be deposited online

• Only two persons can accompany a candidate for submission of nomination

• Only two vehicles will be allowed during the nomination filing process

• A maximum of 7 counting tables will be allowed inside a counting hall