Postal ballots for senior citizens, disabled in Delhi polls

In its upcoming assembly elections early next year, Delhi would become the first state in India to allow Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and senior citizen voters

  In its upcoming assembly elections early next year, Delhi would become the first state in India to allow Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and senior citizen voters above the age of 80 to cast their vote through postal ballots, chief electoral officer of Delhi, Ranbir Singh, said on Friday.

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Singh said the facility will first be rolled out on a pilot basis in a few constituencies in Jharkhand during the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled to held between November 30 and December 20. At present, casting votes through postal ballots is available only to armed forces and officials assigned poll duties.

“After the pilot project in Jharkhand, Delhi will be the first state to go hold elections in which the postal ballot will be made available in all 70 constituencies,” Singh said.

The CEO, however, clarified that voters who fall in the PWD category, and those above 80 years will be free to choose vote through the postal ballots or cast their vote at the polling booths.

Currently, the draft electoral roll of Delhi includes 145,05,034 names. Out of these, 44,058 are enlisted as PWD, and those above the age of 80 are 1,82,829 in number.

“This move is sure to increase voter turnout among the disabled. I know so many people with disabilities who do not want to go out to vote because they do not wish to walk on the roads of Delhi where hardly any accessible vehicles ply,” Satendra Singh, a disability rights activist, said.

“However, the move should not be an excuse for lack of sensitivity among officials in polling booths,” Singh added.

Appreciating the move by the election commission chairperson of Confederation of Senior Citizens Association of Delhi, JR Gupta, said “most people above the age of 80 cannot walk and they hardly go out of their homes which is why they can’t vote. I appreciate this step and I am sure this will increase voter turnout.”

In a statement, the CEO announced that Election Commission published the draft electoral roll for Delhi on Friday and will receive claims and objections till December 16. The final electoral roll will be published on January 6, 2020. “I request everyone to check their names on the draft electoral roll. The primary objective of the special summary revision 2020 is to include newly eligible voters who have completed or will complete the age of 18 on or before January 1, 2020, and also to give opportunities for correction in electors’ particulars and invite objections against any wrong inclusion in the electoral roll(sic),” Singh’s statement said.

He added that all physically disabled voters and those above the age of 80 must mark themselves in the electoral roll in order to avail the service of postal ballot. “This can be done through our PWD app, the voter centre, the voter helpline app and the website nvsp.in.,” the CEO said.

On the logistics of getting votes cast through postal ballots, the CEO said further details will be made available as the polls draw closer.