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ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
Nirvachan Sadan, Ashok Road, New Delhi-l l O 001
No. 52/20211SDRlVOL.I Dated: 2nd February, 2021
To,
The Chief Electoral Officer of
all States & Union Territories
Subject: Guidelines for voting through postal ballot by Absentee Voters in the
category of Senior citizens, PwDs and Covit-19 suspect or affected persons -
regarding.
Ref.:- (i) Letter No. 52/2020/SDRIVol.I dated 17.09.2020 and
(ii) Letter No. 5212020/SDRIvol.I dated 03.10.2020
Sir/Madam,
/
I am directed to refer to the Commission's letters mentioned above and to
forward herewith the revised guidelines for voting through postal ballot by absentee
voters in the category of senior citizens (above 80 years of age), persons with
disability flagged in the electoral roll and Covid-19 suspect or affected persons, for
compliance in all future elections.
2. This may be brought to the notice of all District Election Officers, Returning
Officers and other election authorities concerned and also to the State Units of
recognized political parties and all registered unrecognized political parties based in
your State/Union territory, for their information.
Kindly acknowledge.
Yours faithfully,
(Nt~)
Secretary
Standard Distribution
Guidelines for Voting through postal ballot by Absentee Voters in the category of
Senior Citizens, PwDs and Covid-19 suspect or affected persons
1. Following categories of Absentee voters, in pursuance of the Conduct of
Elections (Amendment) Rules, 2019, and the Conduct of Elections (Amendment)
Rules, 2020 read with the Election Commission's decision dated 16th July, 2020 have
been given the facility of voting through postal ballot (PH) paper:
(i) Senior citizens (above 80 years of age),
(ii) Persons with disability flagged in the electoral roll and
(iii) COVID 19 suspect or affected persons.
2. Process for applying PB by absentee voters.
(2.1) An Absentee Voter wishing to vote by postal ballot has to make
application to the Returning Officer (RO) of the constituency concerned, in
Form-12D, giving all requisite particulars. Such application seeking postal
ballot facility should reach to the RO during the period from date of
announcement of election to five days following the date of notification of
the election concerned.
(2.2) As per the amended provisions under Rule 27E and 27-1 of CER, 1961
the issue of Postal ballot paper to the absentee voter and return of the ballot
paper after voting shall be in such manner as the Commission may direct.
Accordingly, the Commission has laid down the following procedure/guidelines
for facilitating voting through postal ballot by the absentee voters of senior
citizen category (AVSC), absentee voters belonging to PWD category (AVPD)
and absentee voters belonging to COVID 19 category (AVCO)
(2.3) If any elector at the time of election is hospitalized on account of
COVID-19, in a hospital within the State or is in Home/ Institutional Quarantine
on account of COVID-19 and hence not be in a position to cast vote personally
at the polling station as per medical advice and if such elector makes request for
issue of Postal Ballot, the RO concerned, on being satisfied about the
genuineness of the application, shall provide the postal ballot to the elector. The
RO shall make arrangement to deliver Postal Ballot and to get the same collected
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back from the said elector before the date fixed for poll in the Constituency. This
arrangement shall be made in coordination with the Nodal Officer for COYID-
19, designated by the Chief Secretary, on the directions of the Commission.
Application for postal ballot paper from such electors (Form 12D) should be
accompanied by copy of certificate/ instructions from competent health
authorities which show that the applicant is hospitalized in the State or is in
quarantine within the State (Home or Institutional) on account of COYID 19.
(2.4) In case of absentee voters belonging to PWD category (A YI>D), who
opt for postal ballot, application (Form 12D) should be accompanied by a
copy of benchmark disability certificate specified by the concerned
appropriate Government, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act,
2016.
3. Action by RO-
(3.1) Distribution of Form 12D by BLO:
(a) BLO will visit to the houses of the absentee voters in category of A YSC,
AYPD and A YeO, as per details provided by the RO, in the Polling
Station area and deliver Form 12D to the concerned electors and obtain
acknowledgements from them.
(b) BLO shall deposit all the Acknowledgements obtained from the electors
with the RO.
(c) If an elector is not available, BLO will share his/her contact details and
revisit to collect it within five days of the notification.
(d) The elector mayor may not opt for Postal Ballot. If he/she opts for Postal
Ballot, then the BLO will collect the filled-in-Form 12D from the house of
the elector within five days of the notification and deposit with the RO
forthwith.
(e) Sector Officer shall supervise the process of distribution and collection of
Form 12D by BLOs under the overall supervision of RO.
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(3.2) On receipt of application in Form-I2D, the RO will draw a list (format
as annexure-I) of all Absentee Voters in the 3 categories, i.e. (a) 'AVSC', (b)
'A VPD' and (c) AVCO, whose applications have been received in time and are
in order.
(3.3) On the last date for making nominations for the election, the electoral
roll is frozen for that election and no further addition or deletion can be carried
out in the roll till the completion of the election. At this stage, RO shall verify
and ensure that the applicants for postal ballots are registered as elector and their
electoral particulars given in Form I2-D are correct with reference to the
existing electoral roll. All the electors, whose particulars with reference to the
electoral roll have been found to be correct, shall be issued postal ballot paper as
Absentee Voters in the category of A vse and AVPD. In case of Absentee
Voters belonging to the category of eOVID-19 (A yeO), before issuing FORM
12D, the RO shall check certificate of competent authority, duly appointed by
the State Government/U'I' administration to the effect that the elector is under
home quarantine or institutional quarantine due to eOVID-I9.
(3.4) The RO shall indicate entry 'PD' in the marked copy of the electoral roll
against the names of such electors, to show that a postal ballot paper has been
issued to them, without however recording therein the sl. no. of the ballot papers
issued to them.
(3.5) The RO shall also ensure that elector who has been issued postal ballot is not
allowed to vote at a polling station. 9.
(3.6) Further, the RO shall share list of all such PwD and 80+ electors, whose
applications in Form 12D for availing Postal Ballot facility have been approved
by him, with the Contesting Candidates of recognized political parties in printed
hardcopy.
4. Form and design of Postal ballot paper
The postal ballot paper for Absentee Voters shall be of the same form and
language as the postal ballot paper for the voters on election duty. In this
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connection, reference is invited to the Commission's Directions No.
5212015/SDRlVol.l dated is" September, 2015 and 5212016/SDRlVol.1 dated
24th February, 2016, regarding the form of postal ballot paper for voters on
election duty (copy enclosed).
5. Visits of Polling Officials, briefing of electors and collection of marked ballot
p~geJ_§:_-:
(5.1) Separate teams of poll officers, comprising two officials out of which at
least one should be not below the rank/level of the official appointed as polling
officer for Polling Station in the State, should be appointed for the purpose.
(5.2) Number of teams of Polling Officials to be appointed would depend on
the number of Absentee Voters to whom postal ballot papers have been issued.
(5.3) The team of polling officials shall visit the electors at the address
mentioned in their application in Form 12D for facilitating their voting by
postal ballot paper.
(5.4) The electors will be intimated, in advance, about the date and
approximate time of visit of poll officials. Such intimation may be given
through SMS on the mobile phone number wherever the same has been
mentioned in the application in Form-12D. In other cases, the intimation may
be given by post and lor through the BLO.
(5.5) If the elector is not present at the given address at the first visit, the team
shall pay a second visit after leaving intimation about the time of second visit.
If the elector is not present even at the second visit, no further visit or action is
required in his/her case.
(5.6) The candidates shall be informed about the schedule of visit for the
delivery and collection of postal ballots for this category. They may, if desired,
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depute their authorized representatives (including BLAs), with prior intimation
to the Returning Officer, to watch the process.
(5.7) The list of A VSCs, A VPDs and A VCOs shall be divided for distribution
among the different teams of Polling Officials in such manner that each team
gets a list of persons in geographically compact area.
(5.8) The visiting polling official shall ascertain the identity of the elector
before issuing postal ballot paper.
(5.9) Name of elector and the document produced for identification shall also
be entered in a register (annexed as annexure-2) to be maintained for the
purpose, and signature/thumb impression of the elector obtained therein.
Further, a tick mark shall be placed against the name of the elector in the list of
A VSC, AVPD and A VCO to indicate that the person has voted. The counterfoil
with the serial number and part number of elector duly filled up shall be got
detached and kept in safe custody by the team.
(5.10) It shall be the responsibility of each team of polling officials to (a) issue
postal ballot to each of the Absentee Voters assigned to it, (b) brief the elector
about the procedure to be followed for voting through postal ballot, (c) make
sure that the elector votes without anyone influencing his/her choice, and
ensuring the secrecy of voting, all activities at the address of the elector
concerned. However, if any elector is not able to cast vote by himself due to
blindness or physical infirmity, he/she shall be allowed to take the assistance of
any adult person for casting vote.
(5.11) While briefing the electors about the procedure of voting and formalities
to be observed on their part, the polling official shall clearly explain the
following points to them:-
(a) making the declaration in Form 13A and getting it attested by the poll
officer himself,
(b) entering the serial number of postal ballot paper, both on Form 13A and
on the smaller envelope (Form 1313)
(c) manner of marking vote, i.e by placing either cross mark or tick mark
against the name of the candidate of choice,
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(d) folding and placing the marked ballot In the smaller envelope and
closing the envelope,
(e) Placing the declaration in Form 13A, duly filled up, signed and attested
along with closed envelope (Form 1313)containing the marked ballot
paper inside the larger envelope (Form 13C),
(f) Closing the larger envelope and handing over the same to the poll
officer.
(5.12) Poll officer is authorized to attest the declaration in Form 13A in the
case of AVSC, AVPD and AVCO. While attesting the declaration, the poll
officer shall write his full name and also the designation 'poll officer'. In the
case of a COVID affected person on treatment in Hospital, the Medical Officer
attending to the person also authorized to attest the declaration,
(5.13) After vote is cast on postal ballot and the envelope in Form 13C IS
ready, the Poll Officials will collect the same.
(5.14) Each team of polling officials should be provided with the list of AVSC,
AVPD and AVCO electors, adequate number of postal ballot papers,
envelopes, pen, ink-pad (for thumb impression wherever required), glue stick
for closing the envelopes, a sufficiently big canvas bag for keeping the
envelopes of polled ballots and the counterfoils safely and other essential
stationeries that may be considered necessary.
(5.15) Police Security cover shall be provided to the poll officers for their
visits. Arrangement for videography of the proceedings at the address of
AVSCI AVPD/AVCO should also be made. For this purpose, a videographer
should accompany the poll officers. It shall be ensured that the secrecy of vote
is not violated while carrying out the videography exercise.
(5.16) Visits by teams of poll officers to the address of AVSC, AVPD and
AVCO electors should be planned in such a way that the same is completed
.P!1~day prior to the date fixed for poll in the constituency. For instance, if poll
is scheduled for 1o" of Month, the postal voting for AVSC, AVPD and AVCO
should be completed by 9th of that Month.
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(5.17) For the poll officers deputed to A VCO electors appropriate protection
equipment including PPE kit shall be provided. This should be done in
consultation with the Nodal Health Officer for AVCOs.
6. Deposit of envelopes containing marked ballot papers and counterfoils
At the end of each day of visit by poll officers to the address of
AVSC/A VPD/AVCO electors, the envelopes in Form-12C containing postal ballot
paper etc. and the counterfoils of ballot papers containing the signature/thumb
impression of electors and other particulars, shall be collected by the ARO designated
of postal voting by the absentee voters. The ARO shall make arrangements to have the
same delivered at the headquarters of the RO for keeping them in safe custody. The
ARO shall maintain the record indicating the number of ballots sent on each day. This
should also be shared with the RO on a daily basis.
8. Contesting candidates will be duly informed about the Election Commission's
above guidelines.
-------------------------------------------*-------------------------------------------
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Anncxurc-l
List of AVSC, AVPD and AVCO electors entitled to vote through postal ballot
Name of Election:
Name of Constituency:
- -- - -- -------- --- ------ ---- ----- ---------
Name of Elector Part Number Sl. Num~~r_i~__
~h~~art EPIC number
--r--------~
--------- ------ - --- ------ -- - -----~-- -- - ------ --------------------- --------~
Signature of RO
Date:
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Annexure-2
List of AVSC/A VPD/AVCO electors issued with postal ballot
Name of Election:
Name of Constituency:
------------------------
SI.no. Name of Sl. No. in the Document Date on Signature/Thumb
Elector list of produced which impression of
AVSC/ AVPD identification voted elector
electors
'-----',----------- ------------
Signature of Poll Officer
Name: -----------------------
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