Home voting for elderly, PwD voters begins in Chandigarh today
As many as 633 senior citizens and PwD voters have opted to cast their votes from home, of which 557 are senior citizens and 76 are persons with over 40% disability
The polling for Chandigarh’s lone Lok Sabha seat, through ballot papers from home, will begin in the city from Thursday for the registered senior citizens aged above 85 and persons with disability (PwD) voters, the Chandigarh election department said on Wednesday.
As many as 633 senior citizens and PwD voters have opted to cast their votes from home, of which 557 are senior citizens and 76 are persons with over 40% disability.
Chandigarh will be electing its next member of Parliament (MP) in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1, but polling from home through ballot papers will be completed by May 29, as per the schedule made by the election department.
For the first time, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to extend the home voting facility to senior citizens and PwD voters.
While explaining the procedure of home voting, district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said, “A ballot paper will be issued to voters who opted for home voting and they will no longer be eligible for voting through EVM. Special officers will take voting compartments to each registered voter’s home and proper webcasting will be done to make sure elections are held in a free and fair manner. Also, polling agents of each political party will also share the schedule of home voting.”
“Their names will bear a stamp on voters list available at the polling booth concerned to make sure they do not vote twice,” he added.
UT launches queue mgmt app
The UT administration launched the Chandigarh Voter app, a queue management application designed to facilitate a smooth voting experience for the citizens of Chandigarh on June 1. This innovative tool aims to assist voters in managing their time effectively, helping them to avoid long waits and minimise exposure to the summer heat while ensuring they can participate in this crucial democratic process.
The Chandigarh Voter App is available for download on the Google Play Store. Once downloaded, users can select their location and polling station to get real-time updates on queue lengths and waiting times.
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Braille ballot papers being prepared
Braille ballot papers are being prepared following instructions from the ECI to enable visually impaired people to take part in the election process and cast their votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab and Chandigarh.