Quarantined, Covid-positive persons can now vote without a helper: EC

The Elections Commission (EC) has backtracked on their earlier decision, and will now allow quarantined and Covid-19 positive persons to vote in the upcoming elections without a helper.

Speaking to Raajje MV about the final preparations for the Local Council and Women's Development Committee (WDC) Elections, President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef stated that those in quarantine and those positive for Covid-19 during Saturday's elections will be permitted to vote without a helper, at the time allocated for them across voting centers in the Maldives.

EC President Shareef revealed that the change had been made to ensure the secrecy of the votes of quarantined persons and those positive for Covid-19 casting ballots in the elections. He added that the secrecy of every citizen's vote was guaranteed in the constitution, and the EC did not have the authority to force citizens to vote in such a way that compromises the secrecy of their vote.

EC President Ahmed Shareef went on to clarify that the Technical Team at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) had confirmed that there was no risk of Covid-19 transmission if quarantined and Covid-positive persons touched ballot papers, so long as their hands are properly sanitized prior to be issued the ballot.

The Elections Commission has previously revealed that isolated, quarantined and Covid-19 positive persons will be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections, at voting centers after all other citizens have cast their votes. The commission is now making their final preparations prior to the vote, by training thousands of elections officials and conducting public awareness programmes on elections procedures, which have been changed drastically in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic.