Home voting for senior citizens, PwDs to begin in Baramulla from today

Baramulla, Sep 23: The home voting for the phase 3 of the assembly elections across all the seven assembly constituencies of Baramulla district will commence from September 24.

The home voting process will continue until September 26, and to ensure smooth execution of the process, 49 dedicated teams have been formed across the district, consisting of dedicated staff members, including polling personnel, micro-observers, and reserve teams, and deployed in various clusters within the constituencies.

The teams would be visiting the homes of 661 eligible registered home voters, including those categorised as AVSC (Absentee Voters in Category of Senior Citizens with age criteria of 85 ) and AVPD (Absentee Voters with Disabilities), thereby enabling them to exercise their democratic right to vote.

The polling teams formed will visit eligible voters at their homes, allowing them to exercise their right to franchise via postal ballots, ensuring convenience and eliminating any undue hardship.

The first-of-its-kind initiative for the J&K Assembly elections is designed to serve voters aged 85 and above, as well as individuals with benchmark disabilities, in accordance with the guidelines set by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

These include 5 teams in 7-Sopore Assembly Constituency, 8 teams in 8-Rafiabad AC, 18 teams in 9-Uri, 3 in 10-Baramulla, 6 in 11-Gulmarg, 5 in 12-Wagoora Kreeri, and 4 teams in 13-Pattan, ensuring there aren’t any logistical challenges while providing eligible voters a facility to vote from the comfort of their homes.

The highest number of polling teams had been constituted for the Uri assembly constituency which is spread over higher reaches.

The District Election Officer Baramulla, Minga Sherpa emphasised the administration’s commitment to achieving 100% voter participation, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and transparency. He assured that every eligible voter will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.

The DEO said that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down by the ECI towards the conduct of home voting have been meticulously followed at each stage of the process to ensure thorough scrutiny and fairness while maintaining the integrity of the election process.