Noida: As the Election Commission of India (ECI), for the first time in a Lok Sabha Election, has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and Persons with Disabilities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as many as 355 such people cast their vote in Gautam Budh Nagar constituency on Monday. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the officer-in-charge (postal ballot and electronically transmitted postal ballot system) and chief veterinary officer Dr VK Agrawal, said that the voting was conducted from 7 am to 6 pm.
He said that the polling officials will again conduct the same on April 16. "Collection of the ballot paper is expected to go on till tomorrow (Tuesday) and officers are busy ensuring that there are no mistakes in this maiden process," Agarwal told HT. Agarwal asserted more than 20,000 voters belonging to the two categories were identified, of which 424 opted to vote. Among 424 citizens, at least 355 voted on Monday.
In the Noida assembly constituency, 4,288 senior citizen (above 85 years) voters and 4,453 disabled voters were identified by the administration, reported HT.
Eligibility for vote from home
Voters above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with 40 per cent benchmark disability can avail of the optional home voting facility. Voters in this category have already begun casting their votes for phase I and II of polling. This initiative marks a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and bolstering democratic participation. There are over 81 lahks 85+ aged voters and 90 lakh + PwD voters registered across the country, according to ECI data. A team comprising two poll officials, a videographer and security personnel will visit the elector's residence at the designated time and date, with a prior intimation sent through SMS.
Earlier, the ECI said the polling officers conducted similar voting in several regions of the country. In Churu, Rajasthan eight PwD voters, all from the same family, exercised home voting facility underlining the strength of India’s electoral democracy. In Chhattisgarh, 87-year-old Indumati Pandey and 86-year-old Sonmati Baghel, from Bastar and Sukma tribal districts, exercised their franchise using the postal ballot at home and expressed their gratitude to the Election Commission for the facility. In Maharashtra, ECI polling teams travelled 107 km to provide home voting facilities to two elderly voters in Sironcha town in Gadchiroli district, LWE affected area.
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