Campaign challenges in the time of Covid-19

IN normal times, the election period is a festive affair as candidates, national and local, go around to introduce themselves to the voting public. Rallies and public meetings are organized and house-to-house visits and person-to-person engagements are conducted. It’s easy for local candidates as they cover limited ground. It’s a different story for national candidates as they have to reach out to a far larger audience.

It will be different in the so-called new normal. With restrictions on public gatherings or person-to-person meetings in compliance with strict health protocols in place, candidates and their campaign teams would have to think differently. No books or manuals have been written about holding political campaigns in the time of a pandemic, but lessons may be drawn from campaign activities in countries where elections have been held during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic.