Punjab polls: Only 4% senior citizens opt for postal ballot in Ludhiana

Of the 58,282 eligible senior citizens in Ludhiana, only 2,250 voters (4%) have opted for the postal ballot facility, while 400 differently-abled residents have also requested the facility.

Despite being eligible to avail the postal ballot facility, the majority of residents over the age of 80 have opted to exercise their franchise in-person.

Despite being eligible to avail the postal ballot facility, the majority of Ludhiana residents over the age of 80 have opted to exercise their franchise in-person. (Gurpreet Singh/ HT)

Of the 58,282 eligible senior citizens in the district, only 2,250 voters (4%) have opted for the postal ballot facility, while 400 differently-abled residents have also requested the facility.

In the wake of the pandemic, the Election Commission of India had decided to offer the postal ballot facility to those above the age of 80, who are considered to be the vulnerable group. Therefore, the election office had carried out a house-to-house survey to take the consent of senior citizens aged above the age of 80.

The district has 48,672 voters in the 80 to 89 age bracket, most of whom reside in Ludhiana West (5,063) and Gill constituency (4,640).

There are 8,565 voters aged between 90 to 99 years, of whom 946 voters reside in Ludhiana West alone. Ludhiana has 1,045 centenarian voters, and 275 of them live in Ludhiana East.

As per district election officer (DEO)-cum-deputy commissioner Varinder Sharma, 2,979 polling booths had been set up in Ludhiana on February 20, and 20% additional electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 30% additional voter verifiable paper audit trail ( VVPATs) would be available for the poll day. “It is heartening that super senior citizens intend to visit polling stations to cast their votes. It shows their unflinching faith in free and fair elections ,” said Sharma.

Election tehsildar Anju Bala said the postal voting process will take place on February 14 and February 16. On February 15, teams comprising polling officers, staff, videographers, and police personnel will visit the houses of voters who have opted for postal ballots. Schedules will be shared with candidates and their polling agents will accompany the teams.

The team will also carry sheet compartments (makeshift enclosures) to ensure the privacy of voters. After voting the voters will submit their vote in a packet which will be sealed in the presence of the polling officer, after which the voter will sign a declaration. The entire process will be video-recorded.

In case the voters are absent on February 14, the teams will visit again on February 16 and repeat the exercise.

Sharma said instructions had been issued to all returning officers asking them to give special preference to the persons with disabilities and elderly voters. Vehicles will be provided to them so that they can reach polling stations.

All eyes on 109-year-old voter

Bhagwan Kaur, 109, of Jagraon, who is one of the oldest voters in Punjab, has opted to cast her vote at the polling booth on February 20. Kaur, who insists on walking to the polling booth, says she is not alone, as thousands of voters are excited about exercising their franchise at the polling booth.