Karnataka Elections: EC Announces 'Voting from Home' for Some: How Does it Work, Who is Eligible?

Assembly elections in Karnataka will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the notification for the elections to the 224-member assembly will be issued on April 13 and the last date for filing nomination papers will be April 20. Live Updates

Rajiv Kumar also said that for the first time, voting from home facility will be available in Karnataka for people above the age of 80 years and for persons with disabilities. How does this work? News18 Explains:

How Does it Work?

According to a report by News Minute, within five days of the election dates being announced, personnel from the BBMP and the Election Commission deliver a form called 12-D to the houses of persons who have a voter ID card and are above the age of 80 or are differently-abled.

They will be asked to provide their consent as to whether they want to vote at home or go to the polling place. Individuals who are unable to vote in person can use the postal ballot system, which is delivered to their houses by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). A Returning Officer (RO) will dispatch polling teams to deliver and collect postal ballots on predetermined dates and deposit them with the RO.

The report says that BBMP personnel have already begun campaigning about the new policy in numerous districts of Bengaluru, as well as going door-to-door to query about residents who are eligible for this service.

Residents are first asked if they are available to vote at the polling site. If citizens indicate an incapacity to vote, they are notified of the procedure for voting at home through postal ballot.

CEC Kumar went on to say that secrecy would be maintained and that the entire process would be videotaped. “Whenever there is a campaign for Voting From Home (VFH),” he stated, “all political parties will be informed.”

Voters in Karnataka

According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the number of senior citizen voters has increased by 32% from the last assembly election in 2018. As of present, there are 12.15 lakh voters in Karnataka over the age of 80.

According to the CEC, the number of voters with disabilities has surged by 150 per cent since the last election. According to CNBC-TV18, there are 5,55,073 PwD voters in Karnataka as of March 2023.

Before, such older persons and those with disabilities would be escorted inside polling booths by people stationed at the polling places, eliminating the need for them to wait in line.

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