The State Election Commission (SEC) has written to the Kerala Government to issue an ordinance to amend the Kerala Panchayati Raj and the Municipalities Act to make the postal ballot and proxy voting provision accessible to the electorate extensively during the local body elections in November.

Fearing that COVID-19 pandemic could reduce voter turn out, the SEC wanted to make every vote count, including that of aged persons, an official told The Hindu.

The SEC also wanted to ensure that the contagion did not disenfranchise voters under treatment or in quarantine. It also reportedly felt that there could be a surge in demand for postal ballots, if allowed, given the pandemic-impelled restrictions on social contact.

‘Local body polls in phases’

The SEC has proposed the elections be held in phases. It has also suggested that polling time be extended by at least by two hours to space out the voting process to prevent long lines in front of booths.

State Election Commissioner V. Bhaskaran had sent the letter to the office of the Minister for Local Self Governments, A. C. Moideen, recently.

An official attached to Mr. Moideen’s office said the Government would take a decision only after extensive consultations in the Left Democratic Front (LDF). It would also seek the opinion of Opposition parties to make a decision based on a consensus view.

The pandemic could impact how people vote, and the local body elections could be a bellwether of Kerala's voting behavior in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2020-21.

The SEC's suggestion to amend the law to alter the voting process was likely to trigger an intense political debate in an unusual election year.