EC may reissue ‘undelivered’ postal ballots

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25

In yet another effort to promote participation of defence personnel deputed outside the state and officials involved in the poll process, the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) today conveyed to the returning officers of all 117 Assembly segments that all those electors under these categories, who didn’t receive postal ballots, would be given one more chance to cast their vote.

Punjab CEO VK Singh said the postal ballot papers returned “undelivered” could be reissued on the request of the elector concerned.

He said if the postal ballot paper documents sent by post returned to the RO undelivered then the RO could reissue these by post or might deliver it to the elector personally on a request being made by the elector.

Apart from around 1.09 lakh defence personnel, the election authorities had issued postal ballots to around one lakh polling staff deputed on election duty.

“The commission has taken this decision as some postal ballots have returned undelivered. In most of the cases, the documents returned due to wrong postal address,” said a senior electoral officer. He said till February 18, the Election Commission had received 62,000 postal ballots whereby electors under these categories had cast their votes.

“The number is highest so far recorded in the state. Moreover, it is likely to increase as the counting date is still around two weeks away,” he added.