Postal ballot

Postal ballot

Subject: Polity

Context: A PIL has sought extension of postal ballot facility or electronically transmitted postal ballot system to all registered voters stationed outside their constituency.

Concept:

About Postal ballots

In this Ballot papers are distributed electronically to electors and are returned to the election officers via post.

• Currently, only the following voters are allowed to cast their votes through postal ballot:

1. Service voters (armed forces, the armed police force of a state and government servants posted abroad),
2. Voters on election duty,
3. Voters above 80 years of age or Persons with Disabilities (PwD),
4. Voters under preventive detention.

• The exception to the above-mentioned category of voters is provided under Section 60 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
• Last year due to pandemic the Law Ministry changed the criteria for voters aged above 65 years or a Covid-19 suspect who can opt for postal ballot.

About Electronically transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)

It was developed with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), for the use of the Service Voters. It is a fully secured system, having two layers of security. Secrecy is maintained through the use of OTP and PIN and no duplication of casted Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot (ETPB) is possible due to the unique QR Code.

This system enables the entitled service voters to cast their vote using an electronically received postal ballot from anywhere outside their constituency. The voters who make such a choice will be entitled for Postal Ballot delivered through Electronic Media for a particular election.

The developed System is implemented inline with the existing Postal Ballot System.

Voters eligible for ETPBS

• Service Voters, other than those who opt for proxy voting (Classified Service Voters)
• The wife of a Service Voter who ordinarily resides with him
• Overseas Voters