Service personnel such as soldiers posted along the border will soon be provided with an e-ballot facility, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday. The EC said the Law Ministry had approved its recommendation to provide them with electronic postal ballots so Army personnel could exercise their franchise, PTI reported.
Calling the move a "historic opportunity", Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said it would "promote inclusive participation". "We have the technology and operational procedure [to implement the recommendation]," he said. "We are asking them [the Defence Ministry] how many service voters are at borders...a lot of service voters will be included."
The monitoring body will initially try out this service at the border along Punjab, where nearly 1.1 lakh registered voters are posted. Zaidi also said the commission will prepare a comprehensive strategy to crack down on the use of money, drugs and liquor at the Assembly polls in the state early next year.
A nine-member delegation of the Election Commission began a three-day visit to Punjab on Sunday to review the preparations made for the upcoming polls. Leaders of a number of parties, including the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, had met the team. "The suggestions given by [the Opposition] parties have been taken note of by the EC...We assured them that we will leave no stone unturned to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections," Zaidi said in Chandigarh.
The Election Commission also aims to make these Assembly polls more "disabled friendly" by setting up polling stations at schools for the vision impaired and old age homes. By September 7, Punjab had 1.92 crore registered voters, according to the chief election commissioner.
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