Here’s how home voting for elderly, PwD voters works

Hyderabad: 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.

Voters above 85 years of age and 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.

Aiming for inclusivity, accessibility

This initiative marks a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and bolstering democratic participation, the ECI said in a statement. There are over 81 lakh 85+ aged voters and 90 lakh+ PwD voters registered across the country

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had announced that home voting facility for elders and PwDs takes place with the involvement of a full contingent of polling staff and security personnel with the secrecy of voting diligently maintained.

Impact at ground level

In Churu, Rajasthan, eight PwD voters from the same family exercised home voting facility. 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.

In Maharashtra, the ECI polling teams travelled 107 km to provide home voting facilities to two elderly voters in Sironcha town in Gadchiroli district, LWE affected area.

Similar stories are being reported from other parts of the country where home voting is being conducted.

Procedure for Home Voting

Application: The facility is extended to two key demographic groups: persons with disabilities (PwDs) meeting the 40 per cent benchmark disability criteria and senior citizens aged above 85 years.

To avail of the procedure, within five days of the election notification, eligible voters must complete Form 12D and submit it to the returning officer. PwD voters submit a baseline disability certificate with their applications.

Processing: A booth-level officer (BLO) is responsible for retrieving Form 12D from the elector’s residence when the required documentation has been completed. Candidates receive a list of these electors to maintain accountability and transparency; if they wish, they can choose a representative to supervise the process.

Voting: Following this, a team of polling officials and security officials visit the voter’s residence to collect their votes. Crucially, voters are notified ahead of time of the planned visit, allowing them to be prepared to exercise their right to vote safely and comfortably. To further expedite the procedure and improve accessibility, voters can also receive notifications via SMS about the days when their home voting facility will be active. The complete process is videographed for transparency.