What do you recommend (in terms of social distancing) for organising safe elections?

When we were in public with the social distancing monitor, the main thing we noticed was that when people were occupied with something else, they were less likely to practice social distancing according to the rules in place. For example, when people were shopping, you could see they were less aware of social distancing.

Analyses of public spaces show that when it’s crowded, it’s not possible to practice social distancing. I recommend choosing places that allow people to concentrate on maintaining their distance from others. Prefereably these should be places where nothing else is going on besides waiting in line and voting. So there needs to be enough space. And making sure that the voters coming to the polling station are distributed throughout the day.

What should you avoid? What is counter-productive?

Try to avoid going to the polling station when it’s busy. It’s a good idea to hold the elections over multiple days and everyone should try to vote when it’s not too busy at a polling station. Try to go to the polling station early, for example. If it’s too busy, you still have the opportunity to come back later and try again.

How is this supported by scientific knowledge/research?

The Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NCSR) conducted a study on social distancing in public places in Amsterdam. One of their main findings was that people are less likely to practice social distancing in places with lots of activity or crowds.