The cost of upcoming parliamentary elections to be higher than previous elections

The cost of Parliamentary Elections scheduled for 30th of May will be a lot higher than previous electoral procedures due to the unprecedented conditions the elections will take place in, according to Cyprus` Chief Electoral Officer Menelaos Vassiliou.

In statements to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), he explained that the higher cost is due to the mobile voting boxes and the COVID-19 protective measures at the polling stations.

The elections will go ahead despite the pandemic with traditional voting requiring voters’ physical presence at polling stations. Those infected with COVID-19 and are isolating but wish to vote, can still exercise their right after registering to vote via an online platform.

Vassiliou said that the situation is fluid as far as the number of mobile voting boxes that will operate.

What is unique this time, he said is the health conditions that will prevail at electoral centres, taken to curb the spread of the virus.

The number of mobile voting boxes will depend on the number of people who will register. People who will vote will be confirmed COVID cases and in isolation on the 30th May. We are talking about people who have not yet been infected. By 28th May, we will know the number of boxes required from the applications submitted, as well as the geographic diaspora of these persons, Vassiliou added.

A total of 557,589 people are registered to vote in the upcoming elections. Turkish Cypriots with identity cards of the Republic of Cyprus and an address in the government-controlled areas of the Republic are also entitled to vote. The number of new voters is 68,209.

Vassiliou said that it is still unknown when the results of the elections will be made known in the evening of 30th of May. The aim, he said, is to remain within the framework and results that will be announced around 8pm. However, because these elections are unique, we cannot tell for sure when the results will be ready, he added.

Regarding the cost of the elections, the chief electoral officer said it will be a lot higher than the previous election processes. “We are beyond budget. We have the mobile voting units which will be manned with additional staff and police officers, and there’s also the protocols at election centres.  Surely, the expenditure will be higher and will surpass all other electoral procedures", he said.

The number of election centres that will operate on the day of the elections are 1,150 and ten overseas, four in Athens, two in Thesaloniki and four in London.

The final number of election centres for the representatives of the religious groups (Maronites, Armenians and Latin) will be announced after candidacies are submitted.

By next week, all polling stations scheduled to operate will be manned and the staff informed. The printing of ballot papers will start on 21st May.

Candidacies will be submitted on 12th of May at the office of the Election Officer at the Ministry of Interior from 09:00 until 12:30.

Those who will work to prepare the elections as well as those who will work on the day of the voting, can be vaccinated against COVID-19 irrespective of their age group.

Vassiliou said this arrangement aims to provide the staff with complete protection against the virus. However, he added, vaccination is not compulsory.