The Cape Verdean electoral commission has said that no one will be unable to vote in Sunday’s municipal elections because they do not have a compulsory mask at the entrance to the polling stations, and has directed the purchase of these protections.
The position is set out in a resolution of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), dated 22 October and to which Lusa had access today, with recommendations for planning the last three days of the electoral process, including logistical issues on Friday and Saturday.
For Sunday, 25 October, in addition to the conditions for the constitution of polling stations at 07:00 local time (08:00 in Lisbon), the CNE defines the obligatory provision of alcohol gel for sanitisation at the entrance of polling stations, which must be done with a mask, taking into account that current legislation imposes its use in closed spaces, due to the transmission of Covid-19.
“Delegates should purchase surgical masks, which should be in the possession of Covid-19 inspectors and support staff, to be made available to voters who attend polling stations without them. No one can be stopped from voting because they don’t have masks”, the CNE deliberation said.
In addition, polling station delegates are advised to “purchase alcohol gel” and “make up for the shortfall” during the day, and ensure the constant sanitisation of polling booths.
The CNE guidelines state that polling station staff should wear protective gowns during Sunday’s election, but that they may be removed in case of complaints “due to heat”.
“But under no circumstances may masks and gloves, which are indispensable for their individual protection, be removed,” he said.
Cabo Verde has had 8,122 cases of Covid-19 since March 19, with 91 deaths associated with the disease in the same period.
More than 330,000 voters are called to the polls on Sundays in Cabo Verde, spread over 864 polling stations, to choose the local bodies of the 22 municipalities in the archipelago’s eighth municipal elections.
Sixty-five lists have been submitted to municipal assemblies and 64 to municipal councils, 53 of which are from political parties (of four parties) and 12 from citizen groups.
Voters will be required to clean their hands at the entrance to each polling station and the queues to vote will have to observe a social distance of at least 1.5 metres.
The last local elections took place on 4 September 2016, when the Movement for Democracy (MpD) won 18 of the 22 municipal councils with its own candidates, five more than in the 2012 local elections, while the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) won two and another two were won by independents.
