Ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, a total of 6,980 people have cast their votes under the home voting facility.

Prominent among the voters who exercised their franchise included former Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi, and Gursharan Kaur, wife of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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In a statement, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi said, “So far (till January 31), 6,980 people have cast their votes under the home voting facility. 92 per cent of registered home-voters have successfully cast their votes, including 5,982 senior citizens and 998 persons with disabilities. West District recorded the highest home-voting turnout at 94 per cent.”

The significant increase in home-voting reflects growing voter awareness and accessibility, reinforcing the commitment to inclusive democratic participation, it said.

“The initiative aims to facilitate voting for senior citizens above 85 years and persons with disabilities, ensuring greater participation in the electoral process. This service will continue until Tuesday for all those who have filled out Form 12D,” the Office of the CEO said.

Informing that a dedicated team of polling officials and security personnel are visiting the voter’s residence to collect their votes ensuring voters are notified in advance to prepare for the visit, it said, “The advance BLOs visit, SMS notifications to intimate about the scheduled home voting days is enhancing the convenience and accessibility. The entire process is being video graphed to ensure transparency.”

With the spirit of facilitation of all voters to cast their vote, ECI has given the facility of postal ballot to all personnel on election duty and all security/police personnel who is an elector in the constituency but by reason of their being on election duty are unable to vote at the polling station where they are actually entitled to vote, the statement said.
The Commission has also extended this facility of postal ballot to all private persons and non-government staff such as drivers, conductors, cleaners of vehicles, videographers etc. who would be deployed on election duty on February 5, it added.