3.30 lakh elderly, PwDs used home voting facility in last 11 assembly polls, Karnataka tops list

As many as 3.30 lakh people with disability and electors who are 80 years and above have availed the home voting facility in the last 11 assembly elections, sources said on Saturday, citing data. Persons with disability (PwD), voters above 80 years of age and those suffering from Covid can avail the home voting facility.

Notably, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar while announcing the schedule for the recently held Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, had said that the poll body has directed the Chief Electoral Officers of these states to work towards the awareness about the vote from home facility and extending the arrangement to the elderly and persons with disabilities to vote from the comfort of their homes.

Karnataka tops ‘absentee voting’ percentage 

Representatives of political parties and polling personnel visit the residence of electors who opt for home voting at a predesignated time. The home voting option is exercised using ballot paper under prescribed secrecy norms and the process is video-graphed. Over 2.6 lakh senior citizens who are 80 years and above and over 70,000 PwDs have availed the home voting facility in last 11 state assembly elections, the sources said.

While the latest set of assembly polls were held in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and Telangana, elections were earlier held in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Karnataka. The commission has also taken the initiative to bring the polling station at the doorsteps of the voters for whom attending the polling booths would not be possible due to health related issues.

Among the aforementioned states, the highest voting among ‘absentee voters’ was registered in Karnataka in both the categories. The turnout in the state during the Karnataka assembly elections held in May, in the 80+ group was around 95% with 75,690 voting from their home. In the case of ‘persons with disability’ voters, the turnout was around 97%.

Home voting, the sources recalled, is one of the several interventions by the Election Commission towards making elections inclusive and accessible. The commission had been expressing gratitude towards senior citizen voters, particularly centenarians, for exercising their franchise.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had personally written letters to over 2.5 lakh centenarian voters to express the commission's gratitude for their key role in strengthening democracy.