Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Since April, I've received regular briefings from the Electoral Commission on their planning for the general election in a COVID-19 environment. I'm also aware the commission has kept political parties informed about pending arrangements. The Electoral Commission has planned for a range of scenarios, including the possibility of an election period where the country is at alert level 2 and with some areas of the country at alert level 3. The commission's approach has been to minimise congestion in voting places by extending the advance voting period and increasing the number of advance voting places operating on the weekend before the election, increasing the number of voting places, and using large, enclosed voting places to support physical distancing and hygiene measures such as making hand sanitation available. I might also point out I am aware of a suggestion that maybe the Electoral Commission could consider drive-in voting in the way that we do with community-based assessment centres at the moment. Postal voting is available for people who cannot go to a voting place, for example, because of illness, age, or disability. 