Professional stress and emotional stability of election officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience of the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

States around the world have seriously faced the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020, which, in addition to significant public health concerns, has created problems in the organization and conduct of elections. As demonstrated in this study, one of the general problems was the conduct of elections and ensuring the constitutional right to vote in the context of the pandemic, while maintaining the safety and health of electoral officials and minimizing public health risks. There is no doubt that these are the two aspects that the electoral authorities had to think about the most when organizing electoral processes, seeking a balance between democratic rights and health risks. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be a challenge for the exercise of representative democracy, and the organization of elections is becoming increasingly vulnerable and stressful in pandemic conditions. The electoral officials are the ones who, on the front line, had to ensure that the presidential and parliamentary elections were held in working conditions that are alert for their health and safety. The risks of contamination with the COVID-19 virus in the workplace have generated a change in their mental, physical and emotional state. These aspects are elements of professional stress, given that until the pandemic, electoral officials were used to a type of behavior at work (electoral offices).