Home voting: Over 1,480 voters use facility on opening day in Delhi

New Delhi: Over 1,480 elderly voters and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) cast their votes using the home voting facility in all seven parliamentary constituencies of Delhi on the first day of the exercise on Thursday, according to official data.  The home voting facility is available to voters above 85 years of age and PwDs, offering them the option to cast their votes from their homes.

The facility, which started on May 16, will be available till May 24, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi said.

Delhi goes to polls on May 25.

While the maximum votes were cast in West Delhi constituency where 406 voters, including 338 elderly voters, exercised their franchise, zero votes were cast in the Northeast Delhi constituency.

There are 442 voters registered for home voting facility in the Northeast Delhi constituency, according to the data.  In Delhi, 5,424 voters who are either above 85 years of age or are PwDs have filled out Form 12D, enabling them to avail of the home voting facility in the 2024 elections. If they choose to vote at the polling booth instead, 8,000 volunteers and 4,000 wheelchairs have been stationed to further facilitate their participation, the statement said.

Voting from home takes place with the involvement of a full contingent of polling staff and security personnel with secrecy of voting diligently maintained, the statement said.

A dedicated team of polling officials and security personnel visit the voters' residence to collect their votes, ensuring the voters are notified in advance to prepare for the visit.

The advance visit by the block level officers (BLOs) and SMS notifications to intimate about the scheduled home voting days will further enhance convenience and accessibility. The entire process will be videographed to ensure transparency.