MELAKA: The Melaka state election which will start tomorrow with the nomination process at 28 nomination centres, will be held in new norms in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Precautionary measures still needed to be taken to prevent the state polls from triggering a new COVID-19 cluster even though more than 95 per cent of the country's adult population has been fully vaccinated against the virus.

The nomination process will begin at 9 am with the candidates contesting the by-election being given an hour to submit their nomination forms to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Based on the guidelines set by the Election Commission (EC), only candidates, as well as their proposers and seconders, are allowed to enter the nomination centre.

Candidates, proposers and supporters who have symptoms such as fever, cough and cold or body temperature above 37.4?C are not allowed to enter the nomination centre and they will be handled by assistant returning officers in full personal protective equipment (PPE).

The nomination form of the affected candidate will be sent via the WhatsApp application to the returning officer.

Candidates are also not allowed to walk in a parade with their supporters or hold any group activities and the same standard operating procedures (SOP) must also be followed by candidates during the campaigning period and at the tallying centre when the counting of ballots begins.

The state election will also see candidates maximising online campaigning or using social media during the campaigning period to comply with the ban of public gatherings by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

On polling day, polling centre guides will screen voters' body temperature and voters will be required to sanitise their hands and wear face masks.

Individuals with symptoms or fever with a temperature above 37.4?C will be barred from entering the polling station and taken to a special polling station manned by MOH staff.

Symptomatic voters will be assisted by polling centre guides until they complete the voting process.

The polling centre guides will place symptomatic voters' ballot papers in a plastic bag which will then be sanitised before putting them in the ballot box.

In addition, voters are required to scan the MySejahtera QR code or record their personal information before entering their designated voting channels while media personnel and observers with passes from the EC will have to scan the QR code at the entrance of the polling station or the body temperature screening tent.

As of yesterday (Saturday), an EC spokesperson said 550 nomination forms have been sold and a total of 12,900 individuals have been appointed to manage the Melaka polls.

The Election Commission (EC) has set the voting date for the Melaka state polls on Nov 20 while the nomination of candidates is on Nov 8 and early voting on Nov 16.

The election is being held following the dissolution of the state assembly on Oct 4, after four state assemblymen withdrew their support for the chief minister.

With 28 state constituencies, Melaka has a total of 495,196 registered voters with 240,530 or 48.57 per cent of them are men, and 254,666 or 51.43 per cent women.

EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh will hold a press conference at 11 am tomorrow after the nomination process closes.

-- BERNAMA