Vote From Home in 2024 Election Ias Banenge

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has, for the first time in the history of the Lok Sabha elections, extended its ‘vote-from-home’ facility to Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens aged 85 and above.

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Dimensions of the Article:

1. Vote-from-Home
2. Process to Avail Vote-from-Home Facility

Vote-from-Home

Eligibility Criteria for Vote-from-Home:

• Age: Individuals aged 85 and above.
• Persons with Disabilities: Those with a disability of at least 40% as certified by the relevant authority.
• Mediapersons: Individuals covering polling day activities, provided they carry authorization letters from the Election Commission.
• Essential Service Workers: Including personnel from metros, railways, and healthcare.
• Service Voters: Members of the armed forces stationed away from their hometowns, Central Armed Police Forces personnel on duty away from home, and those assigned to poll duties.

Process to Avail Vote-from-Home Facility:

• Form Requirement: The primary document required is Form 12D, a letter to the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) explaining the inability to visit the polling station.
• Form Collection:
  • It can be downloaded from the official website of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
  • Alternatively, it can be obtained from the office of the representative district officer of a parliamentary constituency.
• Submission Deadline: The completed form must be submitted within five days from the date the polling date is announced.
• Home Visit:
  • Upon submission of the form, a team comprising two polling officials, a videographer, and a security person will visit the eligible voter’s residence.
  • This team will oversee and facilitate the postal ballot voting process.
• Notification:
  • The voter will be informed about the scheduled date and approximate time of the team’s visit either via SMS or postal mail.
  • Two attempts will be made to facilitate home voting.
• Subsequent Visits:
  • If the voter is not present during the first visit, a second visit will be scheduled.
  • However, if the voter is absent during the second attempt, no further visits will be made.
  • Such individuals will become ineligible to vote both at polling stations and through the home voting scheme in that election cycle.

-Source: Indian Express