BANDIPORA: The Home voting process commenced officially on Tuesday across the Bandipora District and will continue until September 26.

This initiative is designed to facilitate eligible PWD voters with 40 percent benchmark disability and Senior citizens above 85 years of age, who are unable to cast their vote on the designated polling day.

A total of 41 teams have been established to conduct home voting smoothly, across the district.

At Bandipora, District Election Officer (DEO) Manzoor Ahmad Qadri along with RO 15-Bandipora Shabir Ahmad Wani flagged-off the Home voting teams of 15-Bandipora AC and at Sumbal, AERO flagged-off home voting teams for the 14-Sonawari Assembly constituency while as at Gurez, SDM/RO 16-Gurez  Mukhtar Ahmad flagged-off the Home voting teams for 16-Gurez AC.

The DEO along with RO Shabir Ahmad Wani and Nodal Officer PVC Dr. Naseer Ahmad Baba also inaugurated the postal voting centre at the Mini Secretariat Bandipora to further facilitate the voting process.

The DEO said that 504 eligible voters have opted for home voting. Additionally, the district has received 888 applications from service voters, leading to the establishment of postal voting centers at the RO level across all three assembly constituencies.

DEO stated that, the home voting and postal voting initiatives are aimed at ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate in the electoral process and all arrangements have been meticulously planned to guarantee a seamless voting experience for everyone.

He said all preparations, including the commissioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), have been completed in accordance with Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines. Furthermore, three phases of training for poll staff have been successfully conducted.

The main attraction of the day was the traditional drum beating during the home voting process, which added a festive atmosphere and helped publicize the initiative. This lively display aimed to engage the community and encourage participation in the electoral process.

KR Desk