TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Expressing concerns over potential mischief, the Congress party issued an appeal on Monday urging senior citizens to remain vigilant while casting their votes at home, as on Monday Election Commission started providing the facility to senior citizens to cast their votes at home.
During a press conference, Congress leader Savio Coutinho along with some senior citizens also called upon the Election Commission's team to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.
Savio Coutinho announced plans to submit a representation to the Election Commission regarding the issue, citing incidents from the 2022 elections where votes cast by registered senior citizens were declared invalid. Despite filing complaints, no action was taken by the Election Commission.
It's crucial to highlight that a team designated by the Election Commission is visiting the homes of senior citizens who have registered to avail themselves of the facility to cast their votes at home. This proactive measure aims to ensure that eligible voters, especially senior citizens, are provided with the necessary support to exercise their democratic right in a convenient and accessible manner.
Expressing concerns over potential mischief, it has been claimed that during the process of home voting for senior citizens, there are high chances of irregularities. According to the law, the ballot paper number of the concerned senior citizen voter should be written on the envelope in which it is kept secretly. However, it has been observed that this procedure is not always followed, leading to the invalidation of votes, said Coutinho.
And hence he appealed to the senior citizens to be alert on the issue.
Diogo D’Costa, President of the All Goa Senior Citizens’ Forum, echoed concerns regarding potential mischief in the voting process and urged the Election Commission to permit any family member of the concerned senior citizen to verify whether the ballot paper numbers are correctly noted on the envelope.
The envelope containing the ballot paper should be sealed in the presence of the concerned voter. This additional step of sealing the envelope in front of the voter adds an extra layer of security and ensures that the integrity of the voting process is maintained, he stated.
Doorstep voting for elderly, PwD voters begins
PANJIM: In a significant move to ensure the participation of vulnerable sections of society, ballot voting commenced across the State for citizens aged 85 years and above, as well as Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election 2024.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has put in place a comprehensive plan to facilitate the casting of postal ballots by these groups, recognizing the challenges they may face in physically visiting polling stations. A dedicated team from the North Goa Parliamentary Constituency is currently conducting a house-to-house visit to enable eligible voters to exercise their democratic rights.
For the first time in a Lok Sabha election, the ECI has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and PWDs. Voters above 85 years of age and PwDs with 40 per cent benchmark disability can avail the optional home voting facility.
There are 11,502 voters in 85 plus age category and 9,423 PwD voters registered across the State.
The process involves the election team reaching out to the identified voters, providing them with the necessary forms and assistance to fill out the postal ballot. The completed ballots are then collected by the team and securely transported to the designated counting centres. "This initiative is a testament to the Election Commission’s efforts to ensure that no citizen is left behind in the democratic process. It is heartening to see the government taking proactive steps to address the unique needs of our senior citizens and disabled," an official said.
The postal ballot voting is currently underway in the North Goa Parliamentary Constituency, and the Election Commission has assured that similar measures will be implemented across the State to ensure the widest possible participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, some elderly voters complained about the different number in the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and on the electoral roll. The unique 10-digit alpha-numeric EPIC number and the number of the electoral roll against the voter’s name was different.
Reacting to this, an election office said that it could be due to change of replacement of EPIC cards and that the voters need not worry. If required the number would be rectified, he said adding that it will not deprive any voter from participating in the democratic process if his/her is enrolled on electoral rolls.
