Rajasthan polls: Journalists, employees of 8 departments to get postal ballot facility

Jaipur: Mediapersons and employees of eight departments such as electricity, transport and health will be able to vote through postal ballots in the November 23 Rajasthan Assembly elections, an official said on Wednesday.

The Election Commission has issued a notification in this regard and it will be the first time journalists in the state can avail the postal ballot facility.

Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that according to the order, doctors, paramedical staff, ambulance workers, electricians in the energy department, linemen and pump operators in the Public Health Engineering Department, turners, those working in milk committees of Rajasthan, employees and drivers and conductors in transport corporation, firefighters and mediapersons authorised by the Election Commission will be given the facility of voting through postal ballots from this year.

Gupta said that for the first time journalists have been included in the category of service voters. Till now, the facility of service voting was available only to the employees and officers posted on election duty, army or paramilitary personnel.

Gupta said that from now onwards all these essential service people have been given the facility of voting through postal ballots.

The departments concerned will have to inform about such employees who will be on duty on the day of voting and who may be deprived of voting on that day. On the basis of that list, the Returning Officer will issue Form 12-D to those employees and they will be given the facility of voting through postal ballots at facilitation centres.

Election to the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 23.