Special Voting Arrangements: Disability Voting Rights
Lok Sabha polls voting from home option:
image for illustrative purpose
Elderly and disabled voting options
Rajiv Kumar, the chief election commissioner, announced on Saturday that, for the first time in Lok Sabha elections, people who are 85 years old or older or who have a disability of more than 40% will be able to vote remotely.
Electoral participation options
Kumar said, "We are prepared to facilitate voting from home for those aged 85 and above," at a press conference that revealed the schedule for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. ‘’To give them the chance to choose this option before nominations, we will send them Form 12 D.’’
Remote voting eligibility
Kumar stressed that this is the first national rollout of the scheme, although he did note that it had been tested before during assembly elections in certain regions. “If they opt for home voting, we will arrange for ballot casting at their doorstep. As a result of their deep-seated dedication to our democratic process, we've noticed that most of these people prefer to cast their ballots in person at polling places. Rest assured, however, that accommodations will be made for those who need them, such as wheelchairs and volunteers,’’ he explained.
Kumar revealed that 88.4 lakh people with disabilities are listed on the electoral rolls and that there are 85 lakh registered voters who are 85 and older. Furthermore, the electorate also includes 21.18 lakh centenarians. The CEC highlighted the overall electoral landscape by revealing that 97.8 crore people are eligible to vote, with 49.72 crore men and 47.1 crore women. With 102 seats up for grabs in the first round of voting on April 19, the 543 Lok Sabha seats will be filled out in seven distinct stages during the upcoming elections. Ballots will be counted on June 4, marking the last stage of the election.
