Facilitating Inclusive Voting: Home Voting and Postal Voting Centers in 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
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The Chief Election Officer, Maneesh Garg, provided information that in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, the facility of home voting has been provided for elderly voters aged 85 and above, as well as for voters with disabilities exceeding 40%. Additionally, postal voting centers (PVCs) have been established for mandatory service employees to facilitate voting.
He mentioned that out of a total of 60,835 voters aged 85 and above, 32,370 have filled out Form 12D, of which 25,958 forms have been accepted so far. Similarly, out of a total of 57,775 voters with disabilities, 13,554 have submitted Form 12D, and 9,394 forms have been accepted.
Furthermore, 2,995 Form 12D applications have been received from mandatory service employees, out of which 2,010 have been accepted. The home voting facility will be available from May 21 to May 29, 2024, for eligible voters to vote at their homes. Mandatory service employees can vote at designated PVCs in their respective assembly constituencies on any one of the three scheduled days.
During the 2022 assembly elections, 32,882 voters aged 80 and above submitted Form 12D, while 8,716 voters with disabilities submitted forms. At that time, 30,908 voters aged 80 and above and 6,426 voters with disabilities voted through home voting, while 872 mandatory service voters exercised their franchise at their RO/ERO offices.
This time, the aim is to encourage as many eligible voters as possible to utilize the facility of home voting, thereby enabling them to exercise their democratic rights more conveniently.
