Elderly and Divyangjan Above 80 Years Of Age Will Be Able To Vote From Home

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday that senior citizens aged 80 and above, as well as persons with disabilities (more than 40 percent), will be able to vote from their homes in the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections through postal ballots.

He stated that the number of voters in the state aged 80 and above is over two lakhs. Kumar, after reviewing the preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state over two days, said at a press conference on Saturday, “In the Assembly elections, citizens aged 80 and above will have the option to vote from home. This facility will also be available for persons with disabilities (more than 40 percent). To avail of this facility, they will have to fill out Form 12D within five days of the election notification.”

He added that if voters want to go to the polling booths to cast their votes, transportation facilities will be provided to them. During the Special Summary Revision (SSR) process, Kumar mentioned that a campaign would be launched to enroll voters from particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in the tribal-dominated state.

He also informed that the special summary revision of the voter list has been extended until September 11. The final voter list will be published on October 4. Kumar said that he has directed the departments related to administration and law enforcement to ensure the prevention of illegal distribution of liquor, cash, freebies, and narcotics during the election by keeping 105 check-posts operational in the state, along with the installation of CCTV cameras there.

He mentioned that the monitoring of private airstrips and helipads in the state will be carried out by relevant agencies, and action will also be taken against major liquor suppliers if they are found to be in violation of the rules. Kumar revealed that there are a total of 1.97 crore voters in the state, including 98.5 lakh women, 98.2 lakh men, and 762 third-gender voters. There are 2.02 lakh voters aged 80 and above in the state, and 2,948 voters aged 100 or more. There are 4.43 lakh first-time voters in the state aged 18 to 19. The state also has 19,854 service voters.