Maharashtra tops the list of 85+ voters followed by Uttar Pradesh and then Bihar while Union Territory Lakshadweep is left with only 109 eligible 85 beyond voters in the list of Election Commission of India (ECI).
Maharashtra has over 13.07 lakh voters, Uttar Pradesh has over 10.38 lakh, and Bihar has 6.65 lakh such voters. Similarly, with 12.60 lakh persons with disabilities (PwD) electors, UP tops the list, followed by Karnataka (6.19 lakh) and Maharashtra (6.09 lakh).
As per the EC’s data, there are over 81 lakh 85+ aged voters ( 33.84 lakh male and 47.27lakh female) including 2,18,442 electors above 100 years and 90 lakh + PwD voters registered across the country who will cast their vote from home voting facility for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In Maharashtra, of the 13.07 lakh voters, 5.72 lakh are male and 7.34 lakh female aged 85 and above. There are 4.14 lakh male electors and 6.24 female electors in this category in UP. Bihar has 2.90 lakh male and 3.75 lake female electors in this category.
The Election Commission’s data shows, 85+ voters in Tamil Nadu has 6.14 lakh electors including 2.95 lakh male and 3.18 lakh female, Rajasthan 5.71 lakh including 1.88 lakh male and 3.83 lakh female, Karnataka 5.70 lakh including 2. 47 lakh male and 3. 22 lakh female, West Bengal 4.78 lakh including 1 .95 lakh male and 2.83 lakh female , Gujarat 4.19 lakh including 1.56 lakh male and 2.63 lakh female.
As the first and second phase of polling for the Lok Sabha is approaching, the process for voting from home facilities for such voters have already begun.
In Churu, Rajasthan eight PwD voters, all from the same family, exercised home voting facilities underlining the strength of India’s electoral democracy. In Chhattisgarh, 87- year-old Indumati Pandey and 86-year-old Sonmati Baghel, from Bastar and Sukma tribal districts, exercised their franchise using the postal ballot at home and expressed their gratitude to the Election Commission for the facility. In Maharashtra, ECI polling teams travelled 107 kms to provide home voting facility to two elderly voters in Sironcha town in Gadchiroli district, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected area.
BR Mishra from Jaysingh Nagar, Madhya Pradesh, after availing home voting conveyed joy and appreciation. He said, “The duty you have done is commendable, you have done a very good job, I can say the way you discharge your duties is extraordinary, if all of us work like this then we will make our country proud.”
The provision of home voting is a progressive measure aimed at empowering voters who encounter barriers to participate in the electoral process at the polling stations. Specifically, this facility is extended to two key demographic groups: PwDs meeting the 40 per cent benchmark disability criteria and senior citizens. “As India gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the introduction of home voting stands as a testament to the EC’s unwavering commitment to upholding participative, inclusive and accessible elections”, the EC said.
The procedure to avail this facility is simple yet thorough. Within five days of the election notification, eligible voters must complete Form 12D and submit it to the returning officer. PwD voters submit a baseline disability certificate with their applications. Booth Level Officer (BLO) is responsible for retrieving Form 12D from the elector’s place of residence when the required documentation has been completed. Candidates receive a list of these electors in order to maintain accountability and transparency; if they wish, they can choose a representative to supervise the process. Following this, a dedicated team of polling officials along with security officials visits the voter’s residence to collect their votes.
