Ellenabad

Covid ve, differently abled can use postal ballot

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 30

Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, Hema Sharma, today announced the facility to vote through postal ballot for the voters who tested Covid-positive, those above 80 years and differently abled.

Sharma said that political parties should ensure that booth agents, counting agents and other persons nominated by them for election activities have received both doses of Covid vaccine.

She said that the model code of conduct has come into force in Sirsa district with the announcement of Ellenabad byelection by the Election Commission of India on September 28.

Sharma said that nominations could be filed till October 8, scrutiny of nomination papers would be done on October 11, nominations could be withdrawn till October 13, polling would be held on October 30 and election result would be declared on November 2 and the voting process is to be completed by November 5.

This time the election expenditure limit for the Vidhan Sabha elections has been fixed by the Election Commission at Rs 30.8 lakh, said Sharma.

She said political parties would have to submit a list of their star campaigners to the Returning Officer. The Election Commission has allowed 20 star campaigners for recognised political parties. For registered and unrecognised political parties, the number is 10, she added.

Sharma said that due to Covid, social distancing would also have to be ensured by political parties in public meetings. On the day of polling, the prescribed norms would have to be followed to protect against virus spread.