‘About 9,514 voters in Bengal already voted through vote from home facility in 3 Parliamentary constituencies’
Kolkata: About 9,514 electors in Bengal have already casted their votes before the three Parliamentary constituencies (PCs) — Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri — go for polls on April 19 during the first phase.
The answer to this lies in the provision of voting from home introduced by the Election Commission (EC). The poll panel for the first time in the history of Lok Sabha polls made this arrangement for voters above 85 years and for PWD (Persons with Disability) possessing disability certificates. Persons belonging to such categories had applied through the Commission’s website. As per reports from the office of the state CEO (Chief Electoral Officer) among the three PCs, Jalpaiguri registered the highest number of home voting with 3,715 electors availing the facilities. Cooch Behar is in second position with 2,983 followed by Alipurduar where 2,816 casted their franchise. Home voting for the first phase of polls that started from April 5 ended on Tuesday (April 16).
Among voters who availed the facility, over 6,502 are above 85 years of age while 3,012 are PWD. A CEO office official said that on the basis of application, the concerned District Election Officers (DEO) fixed the day for home voting. The electors were provided a postal ballot at home on which they marked the candidates of their choice and it was then collected by the poll officials.
Two polling personnel, one booth level officer, four Central Force personnel, two state police, a videographer and representative from the political parties are part of the team that visit households for home voting. These votes are counted with postal ballots.
“The entire process is 100 per cent transparent and the electors have expressed their happiness over the arrangements,” the official added.
During the Assembly polls in 2021, when voting was held following Covid protocols, the Commission had made arrangements for home voting for electors above 80 years of age and PWD.
