455 of 480 identified voters sent postal ballots in Ghaziabad
As many as 455 of the 480 voters, aged 85 or above and differently abled people, cast their votes through postal ballots from homes till the end of polling for vote from home on Saturday in the Ghaziabad district, officials said.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) for the first time in a Lok Sabha election has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and people with disabilities (with 40% benchmark disability) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Ghaziabad constituency goes to polls on April 26 and the votes will be counted on June 4.
A total of 480 such voters opted to vote from home and two teams each in each of the five segments were formed for the purpose, officials said.
“The voting for such persons ended on Saturday. Overall, 455 of such identified voters voted during the period April 16-20 from their homes. Our teams went there and followed protocols issued by the ECI. Some voters were not found at home while in some cases the voters were also found to have passed
away,” said nodal officer for postal ballots, and additional district magistrate Shailendra Bhatia.
“Some others said that they changed their mind and will reach the polling booths with their families to cast their votes,” the officer added.
According to officials, the Ghaziabad constituency had 329 such voters aged 85 or above, and another 151 voters with disabilities who have applied for the facility of casting votes at home.
According to official records, the Loni segment had 62 such voters, Muradnagar had 99, Sahibabad 130, Ghaziabad 90, Modinagar 78, and Dhaulana 21.
“The postal ballots of all the 455 persons have been secured. These will now be opened on the day of counting on June 4,” ADM Bhatia said.