The Tribune SPECIAL: EC reaches doorstep; elderly, PwD voters cast ballot

A grey cardboard to hide and maintain the secrecy of vote, a policeman standing near the door and an election official explaining the voting process - no it was not a polling booth but the bedroom of a 92-year-old man who exercised his franchise on Friday from his home for the Delhi Assembly elections.

Advertisement

“It seems like the entire Election Commission has landed on my doorstep,” said KK Khanna, a 92-year-old resident and voter of Janakpuri.

Khanna was among several elderly and disabled voters who had been given a chance by the Election Commission to vote from home.

“The way the Election Commission has conducted the process is praise worthy. I am thankful to the poll body. I’m fit but can’t walk. Hence, I opted for the vote from home service,” said Khanna, who is a retired officer from the Reserve Bank of India, while lying on his bed under a blanket.

The voting from home facility in Delhi for elderly voters (85+) and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) was first started during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Any eligible citizen aged 85 and above or with 40 per cent benchmarked disability can avail of the provision of home voting facility through postal ballot in the Delhi Assembly elections.

On Friday, the poll officers conducted home voting from three Assembly constituencies — Tilak Nagar, Nangloi Jat and Janakpuri. The process will continue till February 4.

Delhi has 1,09,063 voters who are more than the age of 85 years of which 6,399 have opted to vote from home. Of the 79,114 voters with disabilities, 1,050 will vote from home.

“By providing the home voting facility to senior citizens and PwDs, we express our care and respect towards them. Our goal is to make the electoral process accessible to all and to encourage greater participation,” a poll body officer told The Tribune.

Voting from home takes place with involvement of a full contingent of polling staff and security personnel with secrecy of voting diligently maintained.

With this, the ECI has taken a decisive step towards facilitating a more equitable and representative democracy, where every citizen’s voice matters, regardless of physical limitations or age.

A dedicated team of polling officials and security personnel visit the voter’s residence to collect their votes, ensuring voters are notified in advance to prepare for the visit. The advance BLOs visit, SMS notifications to intimate about the scheduled home voting days enhance convenience and accessibility. The entire process is even videographed to ensure transparency.