GANDERBAL: District Administration Ganderbal provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Voters above 85 years of age and PwDs with 40 percent benchmark disability can avail of the optional home voting facility, officials said.
They 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.
With this, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a decisive step toward facilitating a more equitable and representative democracy, where every citizen’s voice matters, regardless of physical limitations or age.
Officials said the polling team travelled treacherous and steep areas, and high terrains of the district to reach such voters.
On the first day of home voting, 231 voters out of 337 voters including elderly voters aged 85 years and above, as well as persons with disabilities (PwDs), exercised their voting rights through the home voting facility.
Voters who availed of the home voting facility in Ganderbal expressed gratitude and satisfaction with the ECI initiative.
The District Electoral Officer (DEO) Ganderbal complimented the officials engaged with the home voting service saying this ensures that senior citizens and specially-abled members feel included and are able to exercise their fundamental right to vote without any barriers.

Sheikh Anees