Polling booth to be set up for IMH inmates

CHENNAI: Chennai Corporation officials are going to set up a polling booth at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to enable inmates of the Institute to exercise their franchise during the Lok Sabha election on April 18.

The move came after over 190 inmates of IMH were enrolled in the electoral rolls by the Corporation officials recently. A Corporation official confirmed to Express that a booth would be set up at the Institute.
Dr P Poorna Chandrika, director of IMH, told Express, “Over 192 inmates were enrolled in the electoral rolls. We assessed their decision-making faculty and only then, recommended their names.” 

Saying this is the first-of-its-kind experience for the institute, Dr Chandrika said the polling booth would be set up just for the convenience of the inmates. “We have transport arrangement issues since the election day is a holiday. So, we thought it would be convenient for us if they set up a booth inside the campus,” she added.

She said the voters from the IMH were expected to get their voter identity cards in a week.
The IMH, along with Disability Rights Alliance of Tamil Nadu, has taken the initiative to enrol the inmates in the electoral rolls and get them voter identity cards to enable them to exercise their franchise during the Lok Sabha election.While enroling the inmates of the IMH in the voter lists, IMH address has been given for them with the relaxation of allowing them to change their address.

2000 government staff on poll duty cast vote via postal ballot 

Chennai: Around 2,000 government employees, put on duty for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu on April 18, exercised their franchise through postal ballot in the city on Sunday, Corporation sources said. 
“So far, we have counted 1,513 votes from 10 Assembly constituencies in Chennai. Adding votes from the remaining six constituencies, the number is expected to cross 2,000,” said an official. Out of the 20,000 government staff on poll duty, 6,000 come under Chennai constituencies. Out of these, around 2,000 will be issued election duty certificates enabling
them to cast their votes from the station that they are posted at during the elections. The postal ballot applications were issued to around 4,000 on Sunday.