EC decides against extending postal ballot facility to voters aged above 65 years

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday decided to put a hold on its move to extend postal ballot facility for all voters above the age of 65 years during the coming bypolls as well as the state assembly polls in Bihar.

The poll-panel cited logistical constraints to modify its earlier decision to extend optional postal ballot facilities to all voters above the age of 65 years in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The commission now decided that it would extend the facility only to the voters aged 80 years and above, people with disabilities and the ones, who are either Covid-19 positive or suspected and quarantined at homes or in the hospitals and other designated places.

“Considering all these issues, challenges and constraints and in view of the decision to limit the number of electors at each polling station to 1000, (the) Commission has decided not to issue the notification to extend the facility of postal ballot to the electors above 65 years of age in the coming General Elections in Bihar and bye-elections due in the near future,” the EC stated on Thursday.

The EC had recommended extension of optional postal ballot facilities to voters aged above 65 years in order to minimize their vulnerability and exposure at the polling stations and to the Covid-19 positive voters and the voters under quarantine so that they are not deprived of their voting rights.

Acting on the recommendation of the EC, the union Ministry of Law and Justice had already notified the amended rules on June 19. The EC, however, put on hold issue of the notification for implementation of the changes in the rule.

The opposition Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress had earlier opposed the EC move to expand the ambit of the postal ballot facility in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Congress had written to the EC on July 3 last, pointing out that the EC move would “violate secrecy in voting as a large segment of the population is uneducated and they might seek assistance from others at numerous stages, ending up disclosing their preferred candidate”.

The CPI general secretary D. Raja and his counterpart at the CPI (M) Sitaram Yechury too had written to the EC opposing the move.