The 2024 elections will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1 in 543 Lok Sabha constituencies in India. Vote counting will be completed on June 4. Interestingly, the Election Commission (EC) has introduced a Vote-From-Home option for senior citizens. This initiative allows eligible voters to cast their votes from their residences. Here in this article, let us check all about the Vote-from-Home option in 2024 elections along with the eligibility and process.
Who Can Participate in Vote-From-Home Scheme?
In the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the option of voting from home is available for senior citizens aged above 85 and persons with disabilities (PwD) with a disability not below 40%.
To be eligible for this option, senior citizens must be above 85 years of age, and PwD individuals must have a disability not less than 40%, supported by a valid certificate provided to the officials.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced this Vote-From-Home facility for the first time in India’s election history to ensure inclusive participation and enable eligible individuals to exercise their voting rights conveniently from their residences.
What is the Process for Requesting Vote-from-Home Option? How to register?
The process for requesting a vote-from-home option involves filling out Form 12D and informing the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) of the desire to vote from home. This form can be downloaded from the official website of the Election Commission at www.eci.gov.in or collected from the office of the representative district officer of a Lok Sabha constituency.
Once the form is submitted, polling officials, along with a videographer and a security person, will visit the eligible person’s home to oversee the postal voting process. The voter will receive prior intimation about the date and time of the visit through SMS or post. (Source)
This initiative aims to make the voting process more inclusive and accessible, benefiting over 85 lakh senior citizens and 88.4 lakh persons with disabilities!
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