First in Haryana: e-ballot for armed forces personnel

JIND: In a first, the armed forces personnel belonging to Jind assembly seat would be able to cast their vote via an electronically transmitted postal ballot system (ETPBS) in the byelection scheduled for January 28. The poll authorities have already sent e-ballots to around 600 military and paramilitary personel who are registered voters in Jind assembly seat and posted in various locations across the country.

Jind byelection returning officer Virender Sehrawat told TOI that it is for the first time that military personnel would be able to cast their votes electronically in the state elections. He said the new system would ensure that all postal ballots reach on time. ETPBS is a password protected highly secured system developed by the Election Commission of India.

Explaining the process, Sehrawat said that on January 14 all these 600 personnel of military or paramilitary were provided the password protected blank postal ballot electronically. They have to mark their preference and post the filled-up ballot back to the returning officer in Jind. Instructions have also been issued to receive their posts even at night to ensure they are received before the counting, Sehrawat added.

“With this, there would be no delay in receiving the postal ballots, as the voters have already received ballot papers and can send it back well before the counting begins. It is a convenient electronic process for exercising their franchise in the elections by these defence personnel,” RO added.

It is for the first time that the ETPBS, which was introduced by the ECI in October 2016 by amending its rules, would be used in Haryana. The process was also introduced full-fledged in the state assembly polls held in Himachal Pradesh in November 2017, where around 37,000 ballots were issued electronically to military and para-military personnels deployed across the country.