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KPU Jakarta to take extra measures to prevent death of polling station workers
The Jakarta office of the General Elections Commission (KPU) is planning to implement extra measures to ensure the health of poll administrators during the upcoming general election following the death of hundreds of poll workers in the previous election in 2019.
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Healthy democracy: A poll worker hands plastic gloves to a voter on July 22, 2020, during a simulation for the 2020 simultaneous regional elections at the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta. During the simulation, the committee applied COVID-19 health protocols. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
The Jakarta office of the General Elections Commission (KPU) is planning to implement extra measures to ensure the health of poll administrators during the upcoming general election following the death of hundreds of poll workers in the previous election in 2019.
KPU Jakarta election technical division head Doddy Wijaya said that the commission would work with the Jakarta Health Agency to carry out thorough medical checkups for all poll administrators (KPPS) in the capital before the elections.
"A comprehensive health examination is crucial to ensure that all polling station workers are healthy and don't have serious health conditions, considering they are going to face an arduous job and long working hours," Doddy said on Saturday as reported by Kompas.com.
He said that similar to the 2019 presidential and legislative elections, poll station workers will have to work between 36 to 48 hours consecutively on the voting day – which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 14 of next year.
KPU Jakarta will also ask health authorities to provide poll administrators with health supplements and vitamins to maintain their conditions when organizing the electoral process.
According to Doddy, 31 poll station workers in Jakarta died after the 2019 election because of exhaustion while some 150 others fell ill from excess fatigue.
Overworked
