THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Election Commission allowing postal ballot facility for people aged 85 and above and Persons with Disabilities (PwD), a total of 5.12 lakh people in the two categories in Kerala will be able to cast their votes from home for the Lok Sabha election.
As the electoral roll revision is an ongoing process, the number of voters in the ‘85 years and above’ category stood at 2.50 lakh as on March 17. There are 2.62 lakh voters in the PwD category. Enrolment is possible until April 4, the date of filing of nominations.
The postal ballot option was provided to voters aged 80 and above, those in the PwD category and Covid patients in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections. It was introduced in Kerala in the last assembly elections.
“The postal vote facility for senior citizens was used extensively in the 2021 election,” Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Sanjay Kaul said.
At the time, around 6.22 lakh people were listed in the 80 years and above category. With the Centre recently amending election rules to raise the age cap of senior citizens from 80 years to 85, the number of people eligible to cast votes via postal ballots in the state dropped by 3.72 lakh.
Election department officials said the cap was raised as around 98% of the voters in the category chose to visit polling booths to cast votes in assembly elections held to 11 states. “The trend was more or less the same in Kerala. However, we are ready to provide the facility to all eligible senior citizens and PwDs,” said an official. The 20 LS seats in Kerala go to polls on April 26.
The procedure
Booth level officers will visit the homes of eligible voters in the senior citizen and PwD categories and ask if they want the postal ballot facility. Those opting for postal ballots have to sign Form 12D. Poll officials will visit the homes of such voters on a date that would be informed in advance. The officials will also facilitate filling up of the postal ballots. To ensure transparency, the entire procedure will be carried out after informing political parties and will be videographed.
KERALA POLL STATS
Total voters: 2.71 crore
Voters aged 85 and above: 2.5 lakh
Persons with Disabilities in voters’ list: 2.62 lakh
(As on March 17, 2024)