Monday, November 18

Mexico Elections 2021: What are the sanitary measures imposed to prevent coronavirus infections during voting


These are Mexico’s measurements for elections can be held despite the coronavirus pandemic

Elecciones México 2021: Cuáles son las medidas sanitarias impuestas para evitar contagios de coronavirus durante las votaciones
A worker of the National Electoral Institute (INE) checks the electoral material during the process of reception in the District in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on June 54, 2018. – Presidential election will take place on July 1. (Photo by Herika Martinez / AFP) (Photo credit should read HERIKA MARTINEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

Photo: HERIKA MARTINEZ / Getty Images

Montserrat Arqué

Next Sunday June 6, in Mexico there will be electoral day where the inhabitants of this country must go to the polls to elect the 500 new members that will make up the Chamber of Deputies, and in some states and municipalities governorships, local congresses, town halls and municipal boards will also be renewed.

Although months ago it was in doubt whether these elections would be organized on the theme of pandemic , finally the National Electoral Institute (INE) decided to go ahead with them, having already defined a plan with all the security measures to that voters go to the polls with the assurance that they will be safe and sound from the coronavirus.

José Roberto Ruiz, counselor of the INE, explained weeks ago that the sanitary measures were established together with a group of health experts in order to guarantee that the Mexican population can exercise their vote of safe way without the danger of getting infected.

Which is the health protocol to follow during the elections in Mexico?

All polling stations will be previously sanitized.

All voters must go to the polls with face masks, whose use is mandatory at all times.

Poll attendants will give voters antibacterial gel as well as a disinfectant towel to clean surfaces.

Citizens should place their voter card on the table so that í can be searched on the Nominal List, without anyone else having contact with it.

Everyone must keep a distance of 1.5 meters and all types are prohibited physical contact.

Only two simultaneous voters will be allowed per polling place.

There will be crayons in the polls but the INE invites each voter to bring their own indelible ink pen.

The polls will be sanitized, on average, every 3 hours.

On this occasion, the screens will not have curtains.

For the very careful measures that will be applied next June 6, the INE expressed the possibility that the process takes longer than usual. This was communicated for all interested parties to consider in advance.

The boxes will be open from 8 a.m. to 18 hours (local time) .

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