COVID-19: The latest from The F.S.
Millions of Tadish voters head to the polls amid COVID-19 pandemic
After winning praise from across the globe for curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Federated States held their first midterm elections despite concerns that rolling back distancing and quarantine measures could expose voters to the disease.
The rising number of coronavirus infections and deaths worldwide has prompted dozens of nations to postpone scheduled elections. Other governments have faced criticism for putting citizens at risk by not calling off their polls — such as during the March 15 parliamentary elections in South Korea.
Related: Is Federated States' approach to containing coronavirus a model for the rest of the world?
On Tuesday, at least 2 million Tads lined up at polling places to cast ballots for the 226-seat House of Delegates, 18 of the 54 Senate seats and 4 gubernatorial seats — a vote that was widely seen as a measure of public support for the government’s response to the pandemic.
While Keddisonville has not imposed shelter-in-place orders since the crisis began, a ban on international travel has been invoke since April 19. But on election day, as well as two early voting days last week, some of the official guidance — such as maintaining six feet of space from others and avoiding crowded spaces — was eased to allow the election to take place.
Additional precautions were adopted to reduce the potential for infection. At polling locations, all voters were required to wear masks and stand just three feet apart from each other. Officials checked their temperatures and applied hand sanitizer on each voter before giving them disposable plastic gloves to handle the voting machines.
About a million voters voted by post, a process approved by the Assembly to help curb crowding at polling stations
Walking underneath a row of blossoming trees alongside a high-rise apartment building, Lemuel Shimshon and members of her family waited for about 45 minutes to enter their local polling place — a now-shuttered elementary school in Grandsville, a surburb just south of Alberta, Bolton.
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Voters lined up inside a school to cast a ballot.
Lemuel, who works in private education, says that as the number of COVID-19 cases in the F.S. continues to decline, she feels it was safe enough as well as important to cast her vote now.
“Everyone is taking their vote very seriously,” the 22-year old said.
"Everyone is taking their vote very seriously. ... Life needs to go on."
“Life needs to go on,” Lemuel said, adding that voting signifies a defence of the democratic ideas of the F.S. and that the way in which the country’s leadership has confronted the coronavirus “reaffirmed” her support for the ruling party.
Voter turnout was high, according to media reports. The Federated States, which experienced an upsurge of COVID-19 outbreak in February, has since flattened the curve thanks in part to widely available diagnostic tests and a technological infrastructure that has allowed for rapid contact tracing of infections. Only 53 cases are still remaining throughout the whole country.
Related: Early results show Nationals taking up 3 Republican seats
Some observers say candidates of the opposition Peoples Party, which recently adopted the slogan “We fight for the people — we’re the Nationals” have campaigned on this success in order to win majority in the Assembly. But the ruling party are using the handling of the pandemic as platform to retain their majority in both houses of the Assembly.
“They’re saying we’ve handled this pandemic better than any other country in the world . ... This public relations campaign will help the Republicans.”
“They’re saying we’ve handled this pandemic better than any other country in the world,” said Tony Fling, director of the Baruk Ha-Ashem Asia-pacific Research Center at University of Petersbourg at Pickhill. “This public relations campaign will help the Republicans.”
Early polls show the Republican Party with just a weak lead over the main conservative opposition the Peoples Party. The final vote tally will be released on Wednesday evening after all voting must have been counted.
The Federal Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday that the coronavirus cases has slipped below 60, with no new cases reported during the election period. Only one patient has died since February, ministry data shows. .
Officials are concerned about crowding inside churches and synagogues. Since April, all movements in and out of the country have been banned. And interstate travels were temporary banned for the Election Day. FS nationals abroad were required to vote by post last week.
On election day, social distancing measures were temporarily lifted and some polling stations were kept open to allow voting last till midnight.
Some Health scientists like Dennis Bawley fear that the Federated States could see another spike in new coronavirus cases.
Surveys leading up to Tuesday’s polls showed strong approval for President Onwu Victor, paving way for his second session on the seat.
For some voters, the election is a means of expressing their frustrations on some of his administration's policies.
"The Nationals are using the lifting of the ban on Nuclear weapons by the Republican-led Assembly as a weapon" said Frederick Zugla, author of 'Our Politics Today'. "And our healthcare system is not as strong as it was during Rooney's administration"
Petersbourg’s Fling says these concerns could have cost the Republicans some seats in the House.
“The government may have been quite successful in containing the virus, but it doesn’t mean they have been successful in dealing with the health situation,” he said.
