Assembly Elections 2023 | How to use postal ballots?

As we gear up for Assembly elections in the northeastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya to be held in February, we take a look at how postal ballots are used to cast votes.

Apart from senior citizens over the age of 80, Covid patients and persons with disabilities, the Commission has also allowed media persons and essential service workers to use this mode of voting.

In case of Nagaland, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on January 14, while announcing the dates said that over 13.9 lakh electors are registered in Nagaland and over 30,000 first-time voters are set to participate in the forthcoming State Assembly elections.

Read | Election FAQs | How to vote as a first-time voter

The CEC had said that for the convenience of senior citizens and persons with disabilities, arrangements have been made at the polling stations on the ground floor while a postal ballot facility will also be there for 80 plus years and persons with disabilities voters to vote from their comfort of their homes.

Meghalaya has over 30,000 special voters (centenarians, octogenarians and voters with disabilities), 81,443 first time electors and 2 neutral gender voters in the electoral roll this year. The Election Commission had given time till February 5 for centenarians, octogenarians and voters with disabilities to fill up form 12D (postal ballots) and choose to decide to cast their votes from home.

Simialrly, Tripura has also ensured postal ballots so that elderly and Divyang voters can cast their votes.

According to the ECI, “under the absentee category, people above 80 years of age, Covid positive patients, physically disabled and essential service providers (like railways, postal service etc.) can download the 12D form from the ECI website or receive a copy of the same from booth level officer (BLO). After filling it correctly, the 12D form should be submitted with the BLO within five days of notification of polls."

For Covid-19 patients, they need to attach a medical report stating their Covid status, while physically disabled individuals can submit government-issued certificates of disabilities.

Once the form is submitted, it is scrutinised and a list of such voters is shared with political parties that can visit the voters' house on the day of polling. A postal ballot box along with ballot paper is provided wherein they can cast the vote in secrecy.

The process is usually conducted 24 hours before the actual polling under the supervision of an assistant returning officer.

Tripura votes on february 16 while Meghalaya and Nagaland cast their votes on February 27.