Parties' campaigns pivot during pandemic
No directly handing material to voters, no contact with pets among host of new precautions
George Smith works in NDP campaign headquarters and can't hang out for the next month with his identical twin, James, who is travelling on the party's bus. The party's COVID-19 rules require workers from different parts of the election team to stay in separate bubbles.
“There's no question how important these steps are but, yeah, it kinda stinks not to see James for a month. He's my best friend,” George Smith said Thursday.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, said earlier this week that it was up to political parties to set their own policies about how to campaign while keeping the candidates, workers and voters safe from COVID-19.
“Each political party has come up with their COVID safety plan,” Henry said.
“We absolutely will be monitoring and providing guidance and advice as needed, to ensure that these are done in a way that is safe.”
The three main parties supplied their safety plans to Postmedia, and there are obvious similarities around mask-wearing, social distancing, handwashing and staying home when sick.
But there are also differences.
At the NDP camp, workers from different parts of the campaign are “bubbled” and not allowed to interact with their fellow party workers. That is not only a drag for the Smith brothers, but for senior bus staffer Marie Della Mattia and her daughter, Emily, who works at NDP headquarters.
The NDP says its rules are based on guidelines from WorkSafeBC and Henry's office: At headquarters, staff work in small cohort teams that arrive and eat at different times while those on the bus sit in spread-out seats and hand sanitize after every stop.
On Thursday, the party issued new protocols for journalists, which includes an online form that asks for symptoms and collects contact-tracing information.
The Liberals' safety plan includes many of those same elements, but also details minimizing the number of workers in campaign offices, prohibiting the public from entering the offices or requiring appointments, and using plastic or shower curtains barriers when physical distance cannot be maintained.
The Liberals also have rules for canvassing, which includes limiting physical contact with doorbells and railings, hand-sanitizing between each house, never going into voters' houses, and never petting their dogs and cats. Campaign material should be carried in a plastic bag, workers must “take every possible precaution to avoid sneezing” on it, and it should never be handed directly to a voter.
Liberal events should have no more than 50 people, ideally be held outside, provide masks and sanitizer and, when possible, have assigned seating, the party says.
In its safety material, the Green party acknowledges that “COVID-19 has created a situation where campaigning is going to look very different.”
For starters, canvassers should wear gloves and, this year more than ever, respect a voter who isn't interested.
“Canvassers must understand that the public may not be comfortable with this type of activity at their place of residence. Team members will need to be polite, respectful and sensitive to people's comfort levels,” the Green material says.
Only team members in the same household bubble should travel in a car together. If additional people must be in the car, roll the windows down.
In campaign offices, door handles, printers and sink taps must be cleaned several times a day, and Green party volunteers should avoid using common coffee pots, kettles or microwaves — which could make for some tired and hungry volunteers.
Even when it comes to donations, the rules have changed. The Green party would prefer “contactless” transactions, presumably e-transfers or old-fashioned cash can be dropped into a container with a slot on top.