In adherence to Election Commission norms, senior citizens above the age of 85, along with disabled individuals, are being provided with the convenience of voting from home. This provision is extended to those voters who are unable to reach the polling booths due to old age, immobility, or disability, with individuals possessing a physical disability of 40% or more being eligible for this privilege.
According to a detailed report released by the Nashik Election Commission Office, the Nashik constituency comprises approximately 24,939 senior citizens aged above 85, and around 7,005 disabled individuals. To identify eligible senior citizens, the Election Commission conducted a comprehensive survey. Officials from the Election Commission and booth level officials visited each house, within the constituency to ascertain senior citizens above the age of 85 and inform them about their voting rights, including the special provision for voting from home.
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Voters interested in availing the vote-from-home provision were required to submit their consent through an official consent form. The Election Commission distributed approximately 24,811 consent forms for this purpose, out of which 497 voters have responded, expressing their intent to benefit from voting from home.
Similarly, in the Nashik constituency, which includes 7,005 disabled voters, the Election Commission distributed 6,392 consent forms among disabled individuals, with 72 confirming their consent to avail the vote-from-home provision.
Voters who have opted for the vote-from-home provision will receive a postal ballot, which will be packed in sealed envelopes. The voting process for these individuals will take place between May 10th and May 17th, 2024, ten days before the general voting day in the Nashik constituency.
Shashikant Mangarule, Deputy Commissioner of the Election Commission Nashik, stated, "This provision is not compulsory for all voters above 85; rather, it is a special provision aimed at increasing voter participation. In our survey we found out that most of the senior citizen voters are willing to visit respective voting booth for voting. Our primary objective in conducting this survey is to raise awareness about voting and its special provisions. While we have received several consents to date, we anticipate more in the coming weeks. We initiated this survey a month ago, on March 16th, and the deadline to receive consent forms is next week."
This initiative by the Election Commission is a commendable step towards ensuring inclusivity in the voting process and encouraging citizens from all segments of society to participate in the democratic movement.