In a bid to boost voter turnout and make the electoral process more inclusive, the Election Commission has rolled out a range of measures in Kerala for the upcoming Assembly elections. These include home voting facilities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, along with special arrangements to assist voters who are unwell, ensuring that more people are able to exercise their franchise.
Each mobile polling team includes a polling officer, two assistants, a micro observer, a videographer, and police personnel to ensure transparency, accountability, and security during the voting process.
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Over 10,900 Senior Citizens, PwDs Cast Votes
As many
as 10,922 voters aged 85 and above and persons with disabilities (PwD) exercised their franchise through the home voting facility as part of the Kerala Assembly elections, officials said on Monday.
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According to data shared by the Election Commission, 7,561 senior citizen absentee voters (AVSC) aged 85 or above cast their votes from home after the process began on Monday. In addition, 3,361 absentee voters with disabilities (AVPD) also exercised their franchise through the facility.
Officials said the state has a total of 1,45,598 voters in the AVSC (85+) category and 62,159 voters in the AVPD category.
The home voting process in the state will continue until April 4. More than 2.07 lakh voters have opted for the facility, including 1,45,592 senior citizens and 62,220 persons with disabilities whose applications were approved through Form 12D.
Kottayam Leads In Home Voting
Among districts, Kottayam recorded the highest number of home votes, with 2,228 voters from the AVSC (85+) and AVPD categories casting their ballots. This was followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 1,749 voters, Ernakulam with 1,550, and Kannur with 1,141.
No home votes were recorded in Palakkad district, officials added.
To facilitate the process, the Election Commission deployed 2,468 teams to visit absentee voters and assist them in casting their votes from home. These teams are visiting eligible absentee voters to help them cast their votes safely and conveniently from their homes.
Polling for the Kerala Assembly election is scheduled to be held on April 9.
(With inputs from agencies)
