Home voting, introduced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, marks a significant step towards inclusivity for elderly and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
About Home Voting Facility:
- The provision of home voting is a progressive measure aimed at empowering voters who encounter barriers to participating in the electoral process at the polling stations.
- Specifically, this facility is extended to two key demographic groups: persons with disabilities (PwDs) meeting the 40% benchmark disability criteria and senior citizens aged above 85 years.
- By extending this optional facility to these segments of the voters, the Election Commission recognizes the need to ensure that citizens’ right to vote is not encumbered by physical barriers and disabilities.
- This upholds the Commission’s motto of ensuring – No voter is left behind.
Procedure:
- After completing all the required steps to avail the facility a dedicated team of polling officials, accompanied by security personnel, visits the voter’s residence to collect their votes.
- Voters are informed in advance of the scheduled visit, enabling them to prepare to exercise their voting rights in a secure and comfortable manner.
- The complete process is videographed for transparency.
Other Steps by ECI to make voting inclusive:
- Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation program (SVEEP): It is the flagship program of the ECI for voter education, spreading voter awareness and promoting voter literacy in India.
- Proposed Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM): It aims to allow migrant voters to cast their votes from their current place of residence.
- Postal ballot: Permits voting by post for special voters, service voters, voters on election duty, and electors under preventive detention.
- Service voters: Members of the armed forces, Members of a state’s police force serving outside that state, Individuals employed by the Government of India in a post outside India, Members of a force subject to the Army Act, 1950.
- Proxy voting: Enables registered electors to delegate their voting rights to a representative, available for service voters.
- ‘Turning 18’ Campaign: ECI’s ‘Turning 18’ campaign for the 18th Lok Sabha Elections targets young and first-time voters, aiming to boost their participation and address urban and youth apathy from past elections.
Guiding Principles for Accessibility:
- Article 324 of the Constitution provides for the ElectionCommission, its powers and functions for maintenance of the Electoral Roll and conduct of elections in a free and fair manner.
- Article 325 provides that no person shall be ineligible for inclusion in the electoral roll on the grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or anyone of these.
- Article 326 provides for the Universal Adult Suffrage to be the basis of elections.
- The Constitution and related laws mandate the ECI to ensure free, fair, and inclusive elections based on adult suffrage.
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