Postal ballot for disabled, Covid patients & those above 80 years

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

For the first time, residents above 80 years of age, physically challenged persons and Covid positive patients would be able to cast their votes through postal ballot while sitting at their homes.

The move is aimed at increasing voter turnout during the pandemic. Besides, for people aged above 80 years and those with disabilities, reaching the polling booth to cast their vote has always been an inconvenience.

In the present scenario, when Covid cases are already on the rise, the postal ballot facility would also help positive and suspected cases to use postal ballot. This way, the chances of them spreading the infection among other voters would also be curtailed.

DC-cum-District Election Officer, Tarn Taran, Kulwant Singh said returning officers, assistant returning officers and nodal officers are being imparted training, so that the new initiative of the Election Commission of India is successfully implemented at ground level. He said it is also being ensured that employees on election duty have been completely vaccinated.

The postal ballots would be made available to eligible voters in their respective officers by booth-level officers. The EC had introduced the postal ballot facility for senior citizens and persons with more than 40 per cent disability last year. Earlier, the postal ballot facility was available to members of armed forces, employees assigned poll duties and a few other categories.

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