Bihar polls: EC not to extend postal ballot facility to voters aged above 65

Citing constraints of logistics, manpower and safety protocols of COVID-19, Election Commission on Thursday decided t to extend postal ballot facility to electors above 65 years of in Bihar Assembly polls and bypolls due in near future.

However, EC, in a statement, said facility of optional postal ballot will be extended to electors who are above 80 years of , voters with physical disabilities, electors engd in essential services and those who are COVID-19 positive or are in quarantine (home or institutional) in se elections.

move comes even after Law Ministry amended electoral rules in June this year on request of EC to allow those d 65 years or above opt for postal ballot in future elections in view of COVID-19.

In October last year, Law Ministry h amended Conduct of Election Rules to allow people with disabilities and those who are 80 years of or above to opt for postal ballot during Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

w, on June 19, ministry h cleared a fresh change in rules, allowing those d 65 years and above to opt for postal ballot.

While amending rules on suggestions of Election Commission, ministry also allowed "COVID-19 suspected or affected persons" to use postal ballot facility.

"However, before implementing this enabling provision, due tification is issued by Commission, under section 60(c) of Representation of People Act, 1951 at time of election," an EC statement explained.

statement said Commission has alrey limited number of electors to one thousand for each polling station for ease of voting, especially for elderly and vulnerable sections of electors, in COVID-19 situation.

In view of this, state is creating ditional 34,000 (approximately) polling stations which is 45 per cent more, and will increase total number of polling stations to around 1,06,000.

"This would entail formidable logistical challenges of mobilising 1.8 lakh more polling personnel and or ditional resources including requirement of much larger number of vehicles in state of Bihar," Commission pointed out.

Similar challenges would be re for coming by-elections also, it said.

"Considering all se issues, challenges and constraints and in view of decision to limit number of electors at each polling station to 1000, Commission has decided t to issue tification to extend facility of postal ballot to electors above 65 years of in coming General Elections in Bihar and by-elections due in near future," it said.

However, facility of optional postal ballot to electors who are above 80 years of , disabled voters, electors engd in essential services and voters who are COVID-19 positive/suspect in quarantine (home/institutional) will be extended in se elections, poll panel me it clear.

An official explained that this postal ballot facility is different from one extended to service voters.

Here, those willing to use facility have to fill up a form. Officials n carry ballot to residence of such voters and videograph voting to ensure transparency.

"This means ditional personnel," official explained.

Recently, some opposition parties h questioned extending postal ballot facility to voters d 65 years and above, claiming decision was taken without consultations.

y h also alleged that it could le to manipulation of such votes and vitiate polling process. 
 

Im Credits: PTI