EC allows postal voting for senior citizens, specially abled, essential workers in Bihar

Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Wednesday that it will permit postal voting for several key categories of electors in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. This facility, granted under Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, is a major step towards making the democratic process more inclusive, particularly for those who face mobility challenges or are occupied with essential duties on election day.

The primary beneficiaries of this expanded postal ballot facility are the elderly voters across Bihar, specifically those who are 85 years of age and above. Additionally, the facility has been extended to Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwDs), recognizing the logistical hurdles they often face in traveling to and accessing traditional polling stations. This initiative ensures that health and physical condition do not serve as barriers to exercising the fundamental right to vote.

Beyond the elderly and PwDs, the ECI has also included voters engaged in "essential services" on the date of the poll. This crucial category covers personnel working in vital sectors that cannot afford to cease operations, such as fire services, health and ambulance services, electricity, traffic management, aviation, and long-distance government road transport corporations. Furthermore, media personnel authorized to cover polling day are also eligible to apply.

For all eligible electors—the elderly, PwDs, and essential workers—the process requires them to apply for the facility using Form 12 D. This form must be submitted to the Returning Officer through their designated Booth Level Officer (BLO) within five days of the issuance of the official election notification. Once the applications are processed, specialized polling teams will be dispatched to the electors' homes to collect their votes securely.

The ECI also addressed the voting mechanism for 'service voters,' which includes members of the armed forces and those working in diplomatic missions. For this group, the ECI will utilize the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS). Under ETPBS, the postal ballots will be sent electronically by the Returning Officer immediately after the final list of contesting candidates is announced, ensuring timely voting without any postal cost being borne by the service personnel.