THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ‘vote from home’ facility has evoked a good response from elderly electors above the age of 85 years in the state as nearly half of them exercised the option to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha election. However, only 17% of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) chose the ‘vote from home’ option, a detailed analysis of the final voting figures has revealed.
As per the state’s final electoral roll, there are 2.46 lakh voters in the 85 years and above category. According to figures accessed from the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kerala, Sanjay Kaul, 1.19 lakh such electors had cast their votes from home. This constitutes 48.35% of the total elderly voters above the age of 85 years who figures in the voters’ list.
The ‘vote from home facility’, was first provided to voters aged 80 years and above, those in the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category and Covid patients in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections. It was introduced in Kerala in the 2021 assembly elections. Last year, the Centre amended election rules to raise the age cap of senior citizens from 80 years to 85 years.
After the poll panel provides a list of electors aged 85 years and above and PwD voters, Booth Level Officers contact them to inquire if they want to utilise the ‘vote from home’ option or prefer to cast their votes directly at the polling booths. If the voter chooses the vote-from-home option, a prescribed form is filled up and a polling party reaches the voter’s house where he or she casts the vote through a paper ballot and drops it in a box. The entire process is videographed and carried out in the presence of political party representatives to ensure transparency.
“The facility is a boon for the elderly who would otherwise skip the election taking into account numerous difficulties associated with it. However, taking into account the physical condition of the elderly population, the age limit should be lowered to at least 75 years,” said Dr A Salahuddeen Kunju, president, Senior Citizens Welfare Association,Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, the voting preference of differently-abled voters offered a stark contrast to that of the elderly electors. Of the 2.464 lakh voters in the PwD category who figure in the electoral roll, only 45,850 (17.35%) exercised their franchise from home in the recent Lok Sabha election, shows statistics accessed from the CEO’s office.
George K Thomas, a disability rights activist and founder of Freedom on Wheels, said a large section of differently-abled persons prefer to cast their votes directly in the polling booths despite the difficulties involved. “For people like me, visiting a polling booth to cast my vote is an experience in itself. Besides it also sends out a message of inclusiveness and need for increased access to public places for differently abled persons, he said. According to Prajith P, co-founder of Mobility in Dystrophy Trust, who cast his vote from home, there needs to be more awareness among PwDs about the facility. “Not all Booth Level Officers were pro-active enough to contact PwD category voters and make them aware of the vote from home facility. Some had a basic idea about it but did not know much about the process or the deadlines,” he said.
‘VOTE FROM HOME’ OPTION
Senior citizen (85 yrs and above): 48.35%
Total no of senior citizens in voters’ list: 2,46,959
Senior citizens who voted from home: 1,19,425
Persons with disabilities (PwDs): 17.35%
Total no, of PwD electors in voters’ list: 2,64,232
PwD electors who voted from home: 45,850