A longer campaign but under constraints, a masked vote ... In some 5,000 municipalities, the second round of municipal and inter-municipal elections, postponed and now set for June 28, will be like no other. A “double responsibility” presents itself to the executive: ensuring “the security ” of voters as well as candidates, and guaranteeing “the sincerity of the ballot,” said the Prime Minister on Friday. Hence the call of the Minister of the Interior to adopt a "particular discipline" when approaching this unprecedented election, in the midst of a coronavirus epidemic.
A longer and above all digital campaign ...
An exceptionally long campaign is looming. Whereas a week should separate the first from the second round, the candidates have more than a month to organize. Any mergers between the lists will have to be quickly stopped, as the nomination papers must be submitted by Tuesday 2 June at the latest.
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From then on, an unprecedented campaign will begin. Public meetings, towing operations ... The traditional highlights of the period between the two towers will be reduced to the strict minimum or even prohibited. The holding of the poll "should not become a factor in the circulation of the virus" , warned the Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, calling for "campaigning differently, with systematic respect for barrier gestures" .
Without handshakes, therefore. Rather with a mask on the face. And by favoring a "digital campaign" accompanied by interventions "in the media" . The Minister also mentioned "more detailed faith professions" so that candidates bring their program to the attention of voters. These modalities are to be discussed with representatives of political parties as early as next week.
... maybe interrupted
Candidates involved in the campaign must be prepared to stop everything. As recommended by the Scientific Council, health conditions will be reassessed before the second round. An upcoming “revoyure close” , “probably in two weeks,” said the Prime Minister. A further postponement of the poll could be pronounced in the event of a deteriorated health situation.
To read also: Municipal: who are the elected representatives of the first round?
To prepare for it, the government will present Wednesday, in the Council of Ministers, two bills that will be placed on the agenda of Parliament. Their content is explosive: they plan to cancel the first round in the communes where it was not decisive, to reorganize the two rounds at the latest in January 2021, and to postpone the senatorial elections scheduled for September. Unheard of, "just in case".
Voting with mandatory mask and facilitated proxies
On June 28, polling day, "all measures will be taken to ensure health security in the offices ", promised Christophe Castaner, eager to avoid a reissue of the historic abstention (44.66%) noted in the first round .
The wearing of the mask will be mandatory for voters and office members - it will be "general public" for the former, "surgical" for the latter, the minister said. The precautions taken on March 15 will be renewed: marking on the ground to maintain the distances between individuals, signing by the voter with his own pen, supply of hydroalcoholic gel or installation of a "water point" to wash the hands.
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The collection of powers of attorney will also be facilitated, particularly in nursing homes and with vulnerable people, to the homes of which police officers may go to accomplish this process. However, postal voting and the establishment of an online proxy remain excluded. The organization of the voting operations must be the subject of a consultation with the mayors, next week. In total, about one in three voters (16.5 million registered voters) is called to the polls on June 28.
