EC to provide home voting facility for elderly, people with disabilities
CHANDIGARH : The Election Commission (EC) will provide home voting facility for the elderly and persons with disabilities for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections. The term of state assembly ends on November 3, 2024.
Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu who were in Chandigarh to review the poll preparedness for Haryana assembly polls said that for the first time in state assembly elections, senior citizens over 85 years and persons with disabilities (40% benchmark disability) will be provided an option to vote from the comfort of their homes. The home voting facility was provided by the EC during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections also.
The Commission in a release said that the home voting facility is optional and necessary assistance will be provided if an elector is willing to visit the polling station to physically to cast his or her vote. An application (Form 12D) is distributed and collected by block level officer within five days of the notification from such electors who opt for this facility and deposit it
AS PER THE DRAFT ELECTORAL ROLL PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 2, OVER TWO CRORE ELECTORS ARE REGISTERED IN HARYANA. OF THESE 1.06 CRORE ARE MALE AND 95 LAKH FEMALE ELECTORS
with the returning officer. The complete process is videographed and representatives of political parties are involved in the entire process of voting from home, the EC said.
The EC said that during its two-day review visit, directions were issued to all law enforcement agencies to work in a coordinated manner to curb flow of illicit liquor, cash and drugs. Cohort wise route maps are identified to keep strict vigil on movement, stockpiling and distribution of any kind of inducements besides initiating action against liquor and drug kingpins in the state. The state level bankers committee will ensure cash transfers only in designated vehicles during designated hours. Government agencies will monitor unscheduled chartered flights and helipads in the state for any movement of goods. The EC has also asked for a strict vigil over illicit online cash transfers through wallets.
The Commission also held detailed review with district election officers, superintendents of police, divisional commissioners and range inspector generals of police on electoral rolls, EVM management, logistics, polling station rationalisation and infrastructure, training of election staff, seizures, law and order, voter awareness and outreach activities.
The Commission also discussed administrative, logistics, law and order and election related arrangements with Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO) and state police nodal officer. Haryana CEO Pankaj Agrawal said that as per the draft electoral published on August 2,2024, a total of 2.01 crore electors were registered.
“There are about 1.06 crore male voters, 95 lakh female electors. Over 4.52 lakh first time voters (18-19 years); 2.55 lakh 85+ senior citizens and 1.5 lakh persons with disabilities were registered in the state. More than 10,000 voters are 100 or above. The final roll will be published on August 27,’’ the
CEO said.
Agrawal said that 20,629 polling stations will be set up for assembly elections. While 13,497 polling stations will be in rural areas, 7,132 will in urban areas with an average of 977 voters per polling station. About 125 polling stations will be managed by women and 116 will be managed by young employees to promote voting amongst women and youth. One polling station in each AC will also be manned by persons with disabilities. Webcasting will be done in 100% of the polling stations. To facilitate voting in urban areas, high rise buildings and slum clusters have been identified for setting up polling stations to facilitate greater participation. The Commission said during meetings with the representatives of national and state political parties many issues were raised pertaining to conduct of free and fair elections and strict action against misuse of government machinery. The parties also spoke of deployment of adequate central forces in sensitive polling stations, updating electoral rolls with removal of dead and bogus voters in Panchkula, reducing the distance between polling stations and improve facilities for elderly and women voters.