Parliament is set to debate new rules for a COVID-19 general election, with the second reading of a series of amendments to the General Elections Act topping the agenda of today’s sitting. 

With a bill seeking to regulate voting for persons suffering from a notifiable disease or in mandatory quarantine, Times of Malta earlier this month revealed that drive-through polling booths are being considered. 

This would allow people who test positive for COVID to vote in the general election. This was reportedly taken on board by government. 

The detail however does not go into that detail, stating that the Superintendent of Public Health will hand a list of people in quarantine to the Electoral Commission. The commission would then, in consultation with the superintendent, designate the date and place where such people could vote.

With such voting possibly to take place days before actual polling day, protocols for managed mass meetings have also been finalised. These protocols have been in the work since last year, with chief electoral commissioner Joe Camilleri working on these alongside political party representatives and Charmaine Gauci. 

Authorities are also aiming to restrict the number of people allowed into the counting hall, with electronic counting possibly helping the entire situation. 

#MaltaDaily