Exercising the first-ever home voting facility for the elderly and persons with disabilities (PwDs), octogenarian Qasim became the first to cast his vote on Sunday in the Doda district of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency.
A team of polling officers visited Qasim’s house in the Bhalessa area of the district and set up the facility for him to cast his vote.
Polling for the high-profile Udhampur constituency is scheduled for the first phase on 19 April. Several teams of polling officers were constituted to visit the homes of the elderly and the PwDs on Sunday to help them cast their votes at home (Postal Ballot).
Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh, who is also the District Election Officer (DEO), said that with the home voting, polling in the Doda district has begun.
The DC said that Qasim hailed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for introducing the facility which has enabled the elderly and the PwDs to cast their vote. Had this facility been available earlier, people like him would have been in a position to vote in the past elections as well.
He said that 31 teams were constituted to visit the elderly and the PwDs in three assembly constituencies of the Doda district where 85 PwDs and 90 elderly persons are registered.
District Election Officer, Ramban, Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary flagged off polling staff in the morning for home voting of PwDs and voters above 85 years through Postal Ballot across Banihal and Ramban constituencies to ensure inclusive voting smoothly and securely.
The home voting exercise was also conducted in Kishtwar and Kathua districts.
Security forces have already been carried in helicopters to the far-flung areas of Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban for election duty.