Now people below 85 years of age will not get the facility of voting through postal ballot
The government on Friday amended electoral rules to allow citizens above 85 years of age to use the postal-ballot facility in elections. Till now, citizens above 80 years of age were eligible to avail this facility. This amendment comes a few days before the schedule of Lok Sabha and assembly elections of four states is announced.
Amendment in Conduct of Election Rules, 1961
According to the latest voter list of the Election Commission, the number of voters above 80 years of age in the country is 1.85 crore. Whereas the number of voters aged 100 years and above is 2.38 lakh. According to a gazette notification issued by the Law Ministry on Friday, the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 have been amended to provide postal-ballot facility to voters above 85 years of age.
Through an earlier amendment to the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, the Election Commission had allowed voters above 80 years of age to exercise their franchise through postal ballots. Let us tell you that according to Rule 27A of the Election Conducting Rules, the facility of voting through postal ballot has been provided for senior citizens, disabled people, personnel posted on election duty and military personnel.
The decision was taken after looking at the voting pattern of the elderly
The government has decided to increase the age limit of senior citizens from 80 to 85 years for voting through postal letters, keeping in mind the voting pattern of the elderly in the last assembly elections. In these elections, 97 to 98 percent of voters above 80 years of age preferred to exercise their franchise by going to the polling booth instead of postal ballot.
The Election Commission recently held a review meeting with the Chief Electoral Officers of the 11 States/Union Territories where elections were held. In this meeting it was revealed that only 2-3% of the voters above 80 years of age used postal ballot. According to ECI, the number of citizens above 80 years of age across the country is 1.75 crore. Among these, the number of people between 80-85 years is 98 lakh.
