THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)-Kerala has recommended the Election Commission of India (ECI) to introduce postal voting facility for overseas electors in the assembly elections next year.
CEO-Kerala Rathan U Kelkar told the TNIE that he has sent a formal proposal to the ECI on bringing in postal voting for NRI voters, similar to the facility provided for service voters and officials on polling duty.
The demand had come from NRI representatives during a meeting with the CEO recently. Notably, over 75% of all-India overseas voter enrolments in the last Lok Sabha election were from Kerala. Also, more than 90% of overseas electors who voted were from Kerala.
“As per the latest electoral roll, there are around 90,051 overseas electors from Kerala. During the 2024 general elections, a little over 2,600 of these electors had voted. During my recent meeting with NRI representatives from the state, most of them said their participation in the electoral process could increase manifold if postal voting facility is provided to them,” Kelkar said.
He said the services of Indian embassies and consulates could be effectively used, especially for the large chunk of NRI voters in the Gulf region.
Legal opinion sought on new verification methods
“The postal ballots could be securely transmitted electronically to Indian embassies where the NRI voter can cast the vote after the elector’s credentials are verified. The marked ballots will be returned through post as in the case of service voters,” the official said.
For the introduction of postal voting facility for overseas voters, amendments to ‘The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961’ will be required. As per top sources, the Union government is actively considering amendments to the rules and discussions on it are currently under way. Political parties in the state had wholeheartedly welcomed the postal voting facility for overseas voters.
Amid uncertainty over the implementation of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, the office of the CEO-Kerala has sought legal opinion on using electronic tools for verification of voters who are stationed abroad, before presenting a formal proposal to the ECI.
As fresh enrolment process will be followed for those who do not figure in the 2002 SIR list, the question of verifying the credentials of overseas voters had also come up in the meeting of NRI representatives convened by the CEO. “For verification of overseas voters, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) could use facilities such as WhatsApp call or video call for the process,” Kelkar said.
Using such a facility will be helpful in situations where the entire family is settled abroad or when representatives of political parties may raise objections before the BLOs while verifying the applications of an overseas voter who is not present at home. Currently, the CEO has sought postponement of SIR in Kerala till the local body polls are over, based on the recommendation of recognised political parties in the state.