Covid cases, patients to get to vote through mobile units

The House interior committee gave a green light Monday for setting up mobile voting units for confirmed coronavirus cases in isolation, with the bill being passed on to the plenum for a final vote.

An online platform will be set up, on which coronavirus cases wishing to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May 30 can register, allowing a mobile voting unit to come to them.

Chair of the House committee Eleni Mavrou said the system will also be implemented for hospitalised patients whose health allows them to cast their vote.

Special health and safety arrangements will also be made for close contacts of confirmed cases, Mavrou said, allowing them to travel to polling stations and vote.

Regardless of whether a voter is a close contact, Mavrou said these elections that are taking place amid the pandemic will see rigorous health and safety protocols being set up.

Candidates are scheduled to submit their candidacy on May 12, chief electoral officer Menelaos Vassiliou said Monday, noting that so far the electoral list has been bolstered with 15,362 new voters.

Vassiliou said the registration period for the polling stations abroad has been extended by three weeks, until April 23.