South Korea votes in the middle of the coronavirus. Here’s what we can learn States in its efforts to protect voters

South Korea votes in the middle of the coronavirus. Here’s what we can learn States in its efforts to protect voters

South Korea heads to the polls on Wednesday to vote in parliamentary elections, the first country with a large crown epidemic took national elections since the pandemic began. The nation has been a focal point of the outbreak, when a group at the end of February in Daegu, South Korea blew up the third-largest city. More than 10,500 people have now tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 officials have since flattened the curve through aggressive search for contacts, production testing and travel restrictions. New infections were slowing down a few dozen well every day. Now almost 44 million voters to voice-stringent new method adopting the polls to protect election day. If the vote, without performing a peak crown infections, can be a road map for the upcoming elections in other countries, including the election on November 3 in the US. “The Korean electoral process is well thought out from the point of view of minimizing COVID-19 risk of infection,” said Scott Snyder, a senior fellow for the Study Korea and director of the Program on US-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, says MOMENT. “It would be to secure effective to develop a model of how and voters in the United States.” The prevalence of COVID-19, the delay of elections around the world forced. More than fifteen US states have pushed primary again, and the U.K. local elections postponed for a year. Ethiopia has announced that parliamentary elections scheduled for August will be recovered. The US presidential election is more than six months away, but already the debate rages on how to run it in the likely event that COVID-19 is still a threat. (A vaccine will not be ready for more than a year, according to experts. For a wide use) One way to extend the put to the vote is already struggling with the opposition of President Donald Trump and other conservatives. But if the eruption continues, may vote in person until November, the problems, at least if the experience of Wisconsin is anything to go by. An effort which was blocked Apr. 7 delayed primary Republicans. Many seats fell anyway after election officials closed citing health concerns. (Only five out of 180 polling stations opened in Milwaukee, the largest city in the state.) The voters exercise their democratic duty to weigh the protection of their health, as they waited for hours in long queues to their voices. There was some discussion of elections in South Korea in late, but President Moon Jae-in would face serious opposition to the electoral level changes says Won-Ho Park, who teaches voting behavior and research methods at Seoul National University. South Korea has spent decades under military rule, and the first free and fair parliamentary elections took place only in 1988. “The president, the choice of moving the legislator, as the booklet of dictators would look something, we removed had in the past, ” He says. Stay up to date on the growing threat to global health, by signing up for our daily newsletter crown. South Korea will be regularly disinfected precautions polling stations across the country, while voting is open. Officials will check the temperatures, and someone with a fever will be directed to a specific voting booth. Voters will be supplied with disinfectant and plastic gloves available before entering the polling station is required and wearing a mask. More than 14,000 polling stations have to represent the voters and the Electoral Commission asking those who have to wait in line for a meter, or have been little more than three meters apart. Special Accommodations are arriving from COVID-19; they may or e-mail at registration and 28 between March 24 and had to vote in his voice beginning of the allowed and April 11, 10 in one of eight seats, the Electoral Commission for the crown patients and staff set up in the health areas hit hard, they are people who are in self-isolation, after the recent trip or corona exposure can choose at any time with people from mixing to avoid that is not infected. However, they are not because the ban to reach the polling stations of public transport, according to local media. The United States may take similar precautions for the November election, geographical and demographic differences between South Korea and the United States are obvious land mass of South Korea about the size of Kentucky. While it has about one-sixth as many people, is more populous than 15 times denser than the US However, some of South Korea precautions are applied in the United States, experts say. Timothy S. Rich, who studies elections in East Asia to Western Kentucky University, said that many of the measures taken with hand sanitizer could in choice positions adopted throughout the United States, including early voting allows extends voting by mail , mandate and ensuring disinfected polling and that voters are at least three meters away online. Youngmi Kim, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, says that Americans can feel free to take part of the same measures, such as wearing a mask that is culturally accepted in South Korea. Rich says most important measures can mimic the United States with the election of South Korea are to reduce the long lines on election day. “Voters should not have to risk their health to vote,” he says. The elections risks during COVID-19 South Korean decision with the choice, are to move forward, not without cost, although officials to avoid a spike in infections of the situation. Rich says that most of the parliamentary elections that fewer people vote in a turnout of 50% to 60%, but is expected this year. “I suspect that the higher risk groups attempt early or not at all true,” he says. Park, Seoul National University agrees that, despite the precautions, some voters may stay at home the fear of deciding virus. He said that the political landscape can polarize voters as less partisan compose casts can of opt-out on the future of some small Third doubt that the moment had won in the last election. “This election is virtually wipe out them, and Corona will be one of the most important factors,” says Park. The election has already faced challenges. The National Election Commission said it must close vote for foreign citizens from April 1 to 6 participated in 91 missions, through the dissemination of COVID-19, affecting more than 87,000 voters, or about half the electorate. Despite the problems, experts say that with the elections going forward for the country, it is probably the right move. “It is not surprising that the Koreans would try to use the elections if the curriculum can, and it helps that starts control pandemic to come to South Korea,” says Mintaro Oba, a former State Department officials in the specialized Koreas . “The right to participate in a democracy, a Korean is taken seriously, and they know how easy it can be reversed or lost.” Please send tips, leads and stories from the front to [email protected].