KOCHI: In a fresh development related to the discontent reported among Kochi city police personnel over a denial of convenient access to postal voting, the city police commissioner has clarified that officers will be permitted to cast their votes through postal ballots at facilitation centres in their respective constituencies.
The clarification comes amid concerns, highlighted in a TNIE report, that personnel were allegedly restricted from voting in their home constituencies and were instead required to cast their votes only at a designated centre, the Mar Athanasius School in Kakkanad.
The issue gained attention as the Election Commission permits essential service personnel—including police, health, and fire and rescue departments—to apply through both Form 12 (for voters on election duty) and Form 12D (for absentee voters), allowing them to vote either at facilitation centres in their respective constituencies or at designated centres, with flexibility from the state headquarters.
Meanwhile, an officer with the Ernakulam sub-division said the concerns have not been fully addressed and many personnel may still forgo exercising their voting rights.
“Despite the latest instruction (issued by the police commissioner on April 4), there is no clear communication from the Election Commission or certainty about whether postal voting will be allowed at this stage. Rather than resolving the issue, this last-minute directive has only created more doubts and concerns,” the officer added.