Himachal Pradesh Election department on Wednesday started helpline number 1950 to facilitate disabled voters in by-polls to the Mandi Lok Sabha seats and three assembly segments of Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal Kotkhai.
In the bypolls, blind voters will be able to vote using Braille while those disabled voters who had difficulty in walking and persons above 80 years of age will be provided with transport facility to and fro to the polling booths.
Informing about this, State Coordinator for Accessible Elections Ajai Srivastava and Nodal officer of the HP Election department Neeraj Sharma said all the directions of Election Commission of India will be followed in letter and spirit in the bypolls.
“The disabled and persons above 80 years of age will be able to seek transport facility or wheelchair for reaching the polling booths to cast their votes.
In addition, the Election Department will provide voter slips and voter guides to blind voters in Braille and they will be able to cast their vote in EVMs with the help of these.
Besides, officials deputed at polling booths will be sensitized on measures for disabled voters so that they don’t face any difficulty,” they added.
They stated that volunteers will also be deputed at polling booths to assist disabled and senior citizens and if necessary, ramps will be created at polling booths so that the voters with wheelchairs don’t face any difficulty in casting their votes.
“In addition, disabled voters will be given preference in casting their votes at polling booths and posters will be affixed at the booths so that they can easily get all information related to voting,” they added.