Bawaslu will supervise the process so that COVID-19 patients can vote in the elections, chairman of Bawaslu, Abhan, said here on Friday.
Election officers will visit the patients either at their homes if they are undergoing independent isolation, or at hospitals, he informed.
"Those who test positive for COVID-19 will not lose their voting rights, and the KPU (General Elections Commission) must continue to serve them," Abhan said.
He said that the voters will be served by election officers starting 12 p.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Standard Time), or one hour before the close of voting.
Meanwhile, voters with body temperature exceeding 37.3 degrees will not be allowed to enter the polling stations (TPS), he added.
"Such voters will be given special booths in front of the polling stations and given the first opportunity to vote," Abhan informed.
Bawaslu member Fritz Edward Siregar said the mechanism for COVID-19 voters has been regulated under KPU regulation, PKPU Number 6 of 2020.
The 2020 pilkada will be organized simultaneously on December 9, 2020 in 270 regions in Indonesia, covering 9 provinces, 224 districts, and 37 cities.
A total of 734 nominee pairs have registered as candidate pairs for the polls.
Initially, the voting day was slated for September 23, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to December 9, which is also the International Anti-Corruption Day.
The registration of the 2020 pilkada candidate pairs was conducted on September 4-6, 2020. The KPU verified and announced the election participants on September 23. The campaigning period is slated to run from September 26 to December 5, 2020, or for 71 days.
Related news: 11 members of Ngawi poll committee contract COVID-19
Related news: Stringent health protocol application guarantees successful Pilkada
Translator: Boyke Ledy Watra, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
