PANJIM: The State Election Commission (SEC) has ruled out the possibility of introducing home voting with postal ballots for senior citizens above the age of 80 years and to persons with disabilities for the August 10 Panchayat elections.
However, the SEC will recommend to the State government to undertake necessary amendment to the Goa Panchayat Raj Act to facilitate the home
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voting and braille ballot papers for the next local body elections.
Speaking to Herald, SEC’s deputy director Sagar Gurav said that the commission will consider introducing the home voting service and braille ballot papers for visually impaired voters in the next election. “The government will have to make necessary amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act. We will recommend to the government,” he said.
Gurav said that the
panchayat elections are undertaken as per the Panchayat Raj Act and we are bound by the provisions laid down in it.
During the general Assembly elections held in February, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had allowed voters above 80 years of age, persons with disability (PwD) – those with more than 40 per cent disability – to exercise their franchise via postal ballots. Nearly 9,500 PwD voters and 3,000 senior citizens had opted for vote from home facility, in Goa, during the polls.
“We cannot take decision on lines with ECI as we are bound of Goa Panchayat Raj Act,” the SEC official said.
The Disability Rights’ Association of Goa (DRAG) has however, said that the “excuse” put forth by the SEC is not “acceptable”.
DRAG president Avelino de Sa said that the Section 11 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 mandates accessible elections. He said that the Act was implemented by Goa government in 2016 and had enough time to amend the Panchayat Raj act accordingly.
He said that close to 1,500 visually impaired voters will not be able to exercise their right to vote in absence of braille postal ballot. “These voters don’t want assisted voting,” De Sa said, adding that another 1,000 – 1,500 PwD cum senior citizens will also not be able to vote by going to the polling booths.
De Sa said that they had made several attempts to meet State Election Commissioner W V Ramanamurthy in this regard but failed to get any appointment or communication.
