Delhi Election: Senior Citizens of 80 Plus Years Can Now Vote From Their Homes

• Postal ballot available to armed forces and polling duty personnel is extended to cover senior citizens of 80+ age and disabled persons.
  
  
• Senior Citizens above 80+ years can now vote from their homes as their names can also be included in the absentee voter list now.
  
  
• Here is how to cast your vote through postal ballot if you are a senior citizen of 80 years or more.

Senior citizens of 80+ years and disabled persons can also use the postal ballot system by including their names in the absentee voter list. Till recently, this system was available only to the members of armed forces and those deputed on polling duties. Absentee vote refers to the vote cast via postal ballot by a person who is unable to visit the polling station.

As per an election commission official, "This will enable people from these two categories to cast their votes with ease and will also thus increase the voter turnout," In 2014, only about 4 percent of absentee voters voted through e-postal ballot, while in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, this number rose to 60.14 percentage.

Amendment to Conduct of Election Rules, 1961

As per the Election Commission’s advice, the government of India amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 in October 2019 to include the senior citizens of 80 years and above and disabled persons to cast their votes through ballot voting system.

The Election Commission studied the needs of citizens who are not able to come to the polling stations due to their disability and those who are left out on account of their engagement with the discharge of essential services like aviation, railways and state transport. After this study, the Commission recommended to the Ministry of Law and Justice to allow these categories of people the postal ballot facility. Based on the Commission’s recommendations, the Central Government amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. The amendment carried out on October 22, 2019 enables these different categories of people including the senior citizens above 80 years to cast their votes via postal ballot system.

How to cast your vote through postal ballot system if you are senior citizen of 80+ years

• Senior citizens of 80 years and above can cast their votes on the postal ballot system. Here is the step by step process of using the postal ballot system by super senior citizens.
• Fill in form-12 D. once this form is filled in, you will not be able to participate in the normal voting process at the polling stations.
• Booth level officers will visit the house of the applicants and get you fill in the form required.
• Return this form to the officer within five days after the election is notified.
• You will receive an intimation in advance on the date when the polling team will visit your house.
• The team will visit your house to collect your vote. The voting will also be recorded on video.
• The process of postal voting will be over three days before the polling.

An Election Commission Official said to the press, “Due to old-age complications or disability, many people face trouble to make it to polling stations to cast their votes during elections. The ECI felt their problems and made changes accordingly.”