Coimbatore: Election officials have started distributing postal ballots to the people aged above 80 years and disabled people, who have availed the facility in the district, at their doorsteps on Sunday. On the first day, postal ballots were distributed to 2,700 people.
After the Election Commission of India unveiled the plans to extent the postal ballot facility to senior citizens and disabled people, officials had distributed 12D forms to 74,811 people - 60,035 elderly people and 14,776 disabled people - in early March.
However, only 8,642 people - 7,767 elderly people and 875 disabled people - submitted the filled in forms to avail the facility. An official source said they had rejected a few hundred applicants, as they didn’t fit into the eligibility criteria. “Now, there are 7,854 people – 7,249 senior citizens and 605 disabled people – eligible for postal ballot in the district.”
He said they had formed 10 teams, comprising a polling officer, micro-observer, booth-level officer, police man and videographer, each in nine of the 10 assembly constituencies in the district to distribute postal ballots. In the case of Valparai segment, 13 such teams were formed because of its geographical vastness.
“We have informed the eligible voters the date and time of home visit and asked them to ensure their availability. If they are not at home, the team would make a second and final visit to their houses to distribute the postal ballots. If they are not available, they will miss the opportunity to vote this time for once and all,” the officer said.
Explaining that necessary arrangements – a box like structure – would be made at their house to ensure privacy of voters, he said the voters could return the ballot paper in a sealed envelope to the team. “The entire process will be videographed to prevent irregularities.”
In neighbouring Tirupur, 3,871 people - 3,430 elderly people and 441 disabled people – have expressed willingness to avail postal ballots.
Election officials in that district have formed 155 teams to distribute ballot papers at their doorsteps from Monday. The process would conclude in two days.