MORE THAN 200 QUARANTINED PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE TOMORROW

A total of 242 persons completing Day 6 to Day 14 quarantine are eligible to vote tomorrow, Election Day in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Representatives from local political parties, the Electoral Office, Ministry of Health and SVG Christian Council met on October 28 and agreed that only persons in the last 9-day period of quarantine will be granted a special waiver from quarantine on Election Day in order to exercise their right to vote at a specific time.

“These persons will be issued with an Exemption under Section 5 of the Public Health (Port Regulation) (NO.2) Order 2020, to leave quarantine at 4:30 pm on November 5, 2020 to reach their allocated polling station by 5:00 pm, but no later than 5:30 pm to vote,” a release from the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), which is dated November 4,2020 said.

These persons arrived in this country between October 22 and October 31, 2020.

All voters with quarantine exemptions must wear a face mask for the entire period out of quarantine, except for its removal when so requested for the purpose of identification. All instructions in terms of spacing and sanitization must also be followed.

Voters holding an exemption must travel to the allocated polling station in a vehicle which allows for sufficient spacing between them (masked) and a suitably masked driver, if used.

Upon arrival at the polling station, the voter must indicate to a police officer that they are present to vote and wait in the vehicle until directed to exit.

After voting, persons are expected to immediately return to the vehicle and their place of quarantine in accordance with the Public Health (Port Regulation) (No. 2) Order 2020.

The 5 to 5:30pm slot is specifically allocated to voters with the exemption from quarantine. Voting for regular voters takes place from 7am to 5pm, as outlined in the Representation of the People Act.

Health and Electoral officials have assured that there will be no mixing of quarantined and regular voters.