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Shimla, 19 April (HS). Chief Electoral Officer Manish Garg has said that persons deployed in essential services for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections in the state will be eligible to vote through postal ballot as absentee voters. For this facility, persons deployed in essential services will be required to be certified by the nodal officers that they are on duty on the day of polling. For this facility, they will have to submit Form 12D to the concerned Assistant Returning Officer by May 12.
The Chief Electoral Officer gave this information in a meeting on Friday.
He said that the categories of essential services include doctors, paramedical staff and ambulance services, essential duty personnel of fire department, drivers and conductors deployed on long routes, employees deployed in milk supply services of milk federations and cooperative societies, media persons, pump operators and turners. Apart from , electricians and line-men, jail staff deployed on essential services are also included who have been brought under essential services for the first time.
On this occasion, the Chief Electoral Officer said that officers and employees of these categories will have to fill Form 12-D and the nodal officer will also give his certificate in Part-2 of the form. The nodal officer will send it to the concerned Returning Officer or Assistant Returning Officer.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that it will be mandatory for absentee voters to write their signature and mobile number on the form, which will be verified by the Gazetted Officer posted at the Postal Ballot Centre. Postal Ballot Centers will be opened in each constituency for three prescribed days.
Apart from the Postal Ballot Centre, a Special Assistant Returning Officer will be designated to complete this process smoothly. He said that all persons deployed in essential services, who have applied for the postal ballot category, will be informed through SMS about the complete address, date and time of the PVC venue.
He said that when a voter's application for voting in PVC is approved and due to some reason he is not able to appear to vote in PVC, in such a situation even postal ballot paper will not be sent to him. He clarified that absentee voters cannot vote anywhere other than PVC after the application is approved.
He said that the departments which have not appointed State Nodal Officers and District Nodal Officers should immediately ensure their appointment and inform the Election Department.
He said that in the last assembly elections-2022, 1181 postal ballots were issued for persons deployed in essential services, out of which 872 postal ballots were received.