Strengthening COVID-19 Prevention at Polling Stations

KOMPAS/KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI

Workers fold ballots for the election of mayor in Manado, Monday (23/11/2020), at Robert Wolter Mongisidi Sports Stadium, Sario, Manado, North Sulawesi. The activity involves about 100 workers divided into two shifts.

On voting day for the 2020 regional elections, more than 100 million people are expected to assemble at 298,939 polling stations. Without discipline in enforcing health protocols, the regional elections could become loci for the spread of COVID-19.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — A strong understanding and implementation of health protocols at polling stations as well as detailed technical preparations for the poll will determine whether the the 2020 regional elections will further the spread of COVID-19.

In order to prevent voting day, on Dec. 9, from becoming a source of COVID-19 transmission, health protocol campaigns and preparations must be carried out on a large scale over the next two weeks.

This is because on voting day, there will be mass gatherings at 298,939 polling stations (TPS) in 309 regencies and cities. Many of the voters will elect governors and deputy governors in nine provinces and others will elect the regents or mayors of 261 regencies and cities. As many as 100,359,152 voters are expected to cast their ballots at polling stations. In addition, about 2.6 million security guards and members of the polling station working committee (KPPS) will be in attendance.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to subside, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has prepared special protocols at polling stations, such as the obligation to wear a mask, to wash one’s hands, to have surfaces sprayed with disinfectants and to use “drop ink” instead of “dip ink” for voters to mark the ballots. The distance between facilities at the polling station is also regulated. Voters with body temperatures of 37.3 degrees Celsius or higher will be served at a separate polling booth.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

A banner urging people to adhere to health protocols in the implementation of regional elections is installed in Rawa Buntu, Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, Monday (23/11/2020). A number of people are concerned that the simultaneous regional elections on December 9 will create new clusters in the spread of Covid-19.

KPU member I Dewa Wiarsa Raka Sandi said in Jakarta, on Tuesday (24/11/2020) that the number of voters permitted at one polling station had been reduced from 800 to 500. Voting times would be fixed, he said, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In order to prevent crowds as voters arrive, the KPPS has staggered arrival times. The arrival window for a particular voter is provided in the C6 voting notification form, But if voters do not come on schedule, they can still vote.

"The KPPS, which has started its duty today [Tuesday], will optimize outreach to voters. Our studies show that the KPPS is the most effective at socialization because it is close to voters at their respective polling stations,” said Raka.

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Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) member Fritz Edward Siregar said, on average, each voter took about four minutes to vote, from entering the polling station to exiting. That is the time needed to cast one ballot. So if there are two ballots for two elections (governor and regent or mayor) at one polling station, the time needed could be longer.

That, too, assumes there are no technical problems at polling stations, and it does not take into account additional voters that have not been included in the final voters list.

Assuming that one voter takes four minutes and there are maximum of four voting booths, the time required for 500 people to vote at one polling station is around eight hours. That, too, assumes there are no technical problems at polling stations, and it does not take into account additional voters that have not been included in the final voters list. As long as they are present before 1 p.m., voters can exercise their voting rights even after their allotted time. However, this could create a buildup of voters.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

An officer arranges ballot boxes at the General Elections Commission (KPU) logistics warehouse in Depok city, Cimanggis, Depok, West Java, Monday (23/11/2020). The KPU of Depok city has received 1,262,051 printed ballots for the 2020 regional election needs. The ballots include the number on the final voter lists (DPT) plus 2.5 percent as reserves.

According to Fritz, this can be anticipated by adding more voting booths to reduce queues. The ability of the KPPS to serve voters while complying with health protocols must also be improved in order to save time.

Varied compliance and understanding

Compliance with and understanding of health protocols in a number of regions were reported to be inadequate. Agats Bishop Monsignor Aloysius Murwito said adherence to health protocols in Agats, the capital of Asmat regency, Papua, was normal. However, he said, the implementation of health protocols for regional elections in remote areas had not been seen at all.

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In Bandar Lampung, a number of residents said they had not yet received any information about election procedures at the polling stations. Adianto (35), a resident of Langkapura district, said no one had explained health protocols for voting. He knew that voters had to pass temperature checks and apply health protocols. "I just don\'t know the procedure for voting at the voting booth," he said.

A number of prospective voters are concerned about crowds. Murni (44), a resident of South Palu, Central Sulawesi, said she was hesitant to go to the polls. "I\'m afraid of catching [COVID-19] because there will be a lot of people at the polling station. Moreover, I have small children," she said.

In a number of regions, poll organizers and local administrations are intensifying efforts to inform potential voters about health protocols and convince them to go to the polls. In Surabaya, East Java, the local administration has made swab tests available for KPPS members. Election officials who have reactive rapid test results on Nov. 26 will be eligible for the swab test.

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According to Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini, the COVID-19 task force and the KPU want to ensure that KPPS members are in good health and do not have COVID-19 during voting and ballot counting.

KOMPAS/KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI

A person acting as a voter with a body temperature above 37.3 degrees Celsius prepares to vote in a special booth with plastic insulation in a simulation of the 2020 regional election, Saturday (21/11/2020), at Bantik Field, Malalayang I, Manado, North Sulawesi. A total of 979 polling stations (TPS) in Manado are equipped with special voter booths for people with temperatures above the threshold to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

According to Surabaya KPU member Subairi, the duties of KPPS officials who contract COVID-19 will be assumed by others.

Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) board member Titi Anggraini said that efforts to inform potential voters had to be intensified prior to voting. If all voters understood health protocols before voting, he said, there would be no complaints about the rules at the polling stations. "Collective awareness between organizers and voters is needed to protect each other through compliance with health protocols," said Titi. (REK/SYA/CIP/BRO/ETA/FRN/VIO/VDL/FLO/DIT)