Justice Ministry suggests extending early and home voting due to coronavirus

Justice Minister Elvinas Jankevicius says the upcoming general election in October will be organized under the necessary safety conditions as the goal is to create as good voting conditions for people as possible.

"We are proposing extending early voting and voting at home for all procedures to be meet the requirements to keep mandatory social distancing and hold a smooth vote under democratic standards," Jankevicius said.

The minister noted that the existing legal regulation could raise health risks for people amid the ongoing pandemic, and that would prevent people from taking part in the vote and undermine trust in democratic processes.

The Central Electoral Commission estimates that the implementation of these proposals would cost around 1.9 million euros, and another 3 million euros would be needed for personal protection equipment for voters.