EC encourages voters to use own pens to prevent Covid-19 spread

The Elections Commission (EC) has encouraged all voters to use their own pens when casting ballots in the Local Council and Women's Development Committee (EDC) elections, scheduled to be held on 10 April 2021.

The Elections Commission made the recommendation based on revised regulations for voting compiled in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the Maldives, which stresses the importance of voters using their own pens when casting ballots in the upcoming elections as a safety measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The EC notes that only black or blue inked pens must be used on the ballot when casting votes in the Local Council and WDC elections of 2021.

The revised voting regulations, which detail measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at voting centers, notes the importance of masking and keeping a distance of three feet between persons at all times, in addition to highlighting the importance of hand hygiene and not smoking while on the grounds of the voting center. These instructions will be displayed at the entrances and exits of voting centers, and voting must be organized in such a way that three feet of distance will be kept between persons at all times.

The Local Council and WDC elections, initially slated to be held last year, had been postponed to 10 April 2021 in light of the ongoing threat of Covid-19 in the Maldives. As such, huge costs are being incurred to host elections in a way that will not compromise the health and safety of citizens exercising their right to vote. While the EC had stated that they would need MVR 42 million in addition to the MVR 51 million assigned to them to conduct the elections, discussions with the People's Majlis had seen the EC assigned an additional MVR 29.8 million to host the elections on 10 April 2021.