Skopje, 16 October 2021 (MIA) – Election silence begins at midnight as the 20-day campaign ahead of Sunday’s local elections ends after the parties, coalitions and their candidates presented their programs to voters. Election silence ends on Sunday at 7 pm. Media outlets may continue to report on the election process, but all forms of election campaigning and advertising in the media are banned, according to the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services. According to the Electoral Code, violations of election silence include any broadcasting of information, photos, audio and audiovisual materials related to the elections or of their participants; any forms of media reporting overtly or covertly promoting someone’s campaign that may influence voters; data revealing the identity of political entities or individuals involved in incidents or irregularities on election day; and statements from election candidates, political party members, and government officials. On Saturday, people self-isolating after contracting COVID-19, sick and frail people are eligible to cast their votes for the 2021 local elections. Also, inmates, people in house arrest and internally displaced people will be voting on Saturday to elect mayors for a four-year term. Over 1,8 million voters are eligible to vote on Sunday in the seventh local elections the country has organized since declaring independence. They will vote for mayors and municipal councilors in 80 municipalities and the City of Skopje. 299 candidates are vying for mayors and there are 572 lists of candidates running for municipal council members containing a total of 10,532 candidates. For the first time, fingerprint scanners will be introduced in Sunday’s elections to identify voters. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), it will improve the election process as a whole and provide equality of voters based on the one voter – one vote principle. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 protection protocols will be in place at polling stations.