PEOPLE with Covid-19 may enter polling stations to vote after the government failed to bring forward provisions for emergency proxy voting. 

The Electoral Office said it had unsuccessfully lobbied for legislation to allow for emergency proxy voting up to 5pm on polling day, in line with laws in Britain. It confirmed that infected voters can vote as normal despite government recommendations that they should self-isolate.

Voters will be going to the polls on May 5 to elect a new Assembly.

Current guidance suggests people with Coronavirus should self-isolate for 10 days. However, this is not a legal requirement.

The North's Chief Electoral Officer, Virginia McVea, said both the Electoral Office and Electoral Commission had "engaged" with the British Government to put in place emergency absent voting measures.

She said the government had "made the decision not to extend that to Northern Ireland".

"People are not legally obliged to stay at home and if they wish to vote there is no legislation to prevent them going into the polling station, nor is there any legislation to allow them to access their vote in any other manner," she said.

Ms McVea said there would be 1,345 ballot boxes across some 600 venues on polling day, with additional safety measures in place throughout. These will include the fitting of perspex screens, hand sanitising stations, and processes for cleaning pencils used to vote. 

She said people would be "asked to wear masks" but that the Electoral Office "cannot enforce mask wearing".

The Chief Electoral Office said political parties had also been asked to encourage candidates to wear masks. She said a voter may drop their mask momentarily for ID checks.

"The hope is – in terms of what we know about Covid – that most people will be in and out very quickly," Ms McVea said.

"It's not an ideal situation when you know that people with Covid may be coming into the venue, but that is the legislation as government has made it for Northern Ireland."

Ms McVea said there had been a low number of proxy vote applications on the basis of Covid or vulnerability to date.

Voter registration ends on April 14. The deadline for proxy vote applications is April 12.