Hyderabad: As home voting began in Telangana, senior citizens as well as persons with disabilities began exercising their franchise from the comfort of their homes on Friday. The initiative has been introduced by the Election Commission of India for the first time in these Lok Sabha elections and has been received well.
The home voting system not only makes voting accessible to all those eligible, but also underscores the significance of each person’s vote. Among the many home voters exercising their franchise on Friday was 86-year-old Mohammed Jahangir, who had been casting his ballot at a polling station in Moghal Nagar, Karwan, for decades. After the passing of his wife in January, Jahangir did not want to go to the polling station alone and chose the home voting option.
For persons with disabilities, home voting significantly improved their polling experience. N. Bhasker Chary, 48, with over 40% disability from Gudimalkapur, expressed his appreciation for the option.
“Despite being physically challenged, I used to endure long lines to exercise my right to vote. Home voting has made it easier for people like me who relied on others to participate in the electoral process,” Chary said.
Incidentally, there are over 1.9 lakh voters aged 85 and above, as well as 5.2 lakh voters with disabilities across the state. Yet, only about 23,000 registered for home voting.
Anudeep Durishetty, the returning officer for the Hyderabad parliament constituency, detailed the measures taken to ensure the home voting process went smoothly. “We organised special teams for home voting and planned routes to visit voters’ homes. Each team was escorted by police, accompanied by a sector officer and a micro observer, and the process was conducted fairly. Political parties were allowed to send agents to observe the process. The process was executed transparently from beginning to end.”
J. Gopal, a visually impaired resident of Tolichowki, used to struggle to reach polling station. But was able to vote from home on Friday as his house was transformed into a polling booth with all the features of a polling station, including a ballot box, stamp box, booth-level box, voter pad, ensuring the process remained secure and legitimate.
108-year-old first to vote as home voting begins for LS polls in Telangana
As home voting for the Lok Sabha elections started on Friday, a 108-year-old woman was among the first to vote from her home in the state. Polling is scheduled for May 13, but home voting has been made available from May 3 to 6 for senior citizens aged 85 and above and people with disabilities (PwDs).
On Friday, Eshwaramma, a 108-year-old resident of KCR Colony in Nizamabad, cast her vote at home using the home voting facility. In Nizamabad, a total of 1,758 voters opted for home voting, including 858 senior citizens and 899 PwDs. In Adilabad, 416 senior citizens and 384 PwDs registered for home voting.
Similarly, in Hyderabad, officials visited the homes of those who chose home voting and facilitated the process. A total of 591 seniors and 1010 PwDs registered for home voting in Karimnagar.
