Mysore/Mysuru: Starting today (Apr. 29) till May 6, people aged above 80 and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) can choose the ‘Vote from Home’ option, a first-of-its-kind initiative launched by the Election Commission in Karnataka.

In Mysuru, out of 85,514 senior citizens aged 80 years and above and 30,883 PwDs, only 2,407 voters aged 80 years and above and 402 voters with disabilities opted for the ‘Vote from Home’ option and they have submitted 12D forms to the election authorities.

According to reports reaching Star of Mysore, all those elders who have registered for the initiative, are enthusiastically participating in the electoral process. The names and the details of all those who voted will be provided to all political parties once the process is completed, officials said.

In Mysuru, 135 teams have been constituted to execute the task and they have been assigned 158 routes in all 11 Constituencies. The Election Commission has clarified that this voting method is only applicable to people who are either confined to their homes or suffering from age-related ailments.

Separate polling staff have been picked for this process and each team will have five staffers, including two polling officials, one Cop and one videographer to record the entire proceeding.                  The Election Commission has already begun the process of intimating voters about the polling date via SMS.

On entering voters’ houses, staff will check their ID, obtain a declaration and hand over a ballot paper. They will have to cast their vote inside a secret compartment and drop it                                          in an envelope.

If the voter is not available due to any emergency, the team will reschedule the visit. If the voter is not available during the second visit, he/she will lose the chance to vote. If the voters fail to avail of the option, they cannot vote further, including on May 10.

In addition to this, service voters and essential services category voters Absentee Voters in Essential Services (AVES) will also be provided with the postal ballot facility. The postal ballot sent to them electronically can be downloaded using a link via the ETPBS system, and all ballots received by 8 am on May 13 will be considered for counting.

This initiative will ensure that every citizen can participate in the democratic process, even if they are unable to leave their homes.