Covid-19 patients, elderly can vote in elections via postal ballot: All you need to know

The Ministry of Law and Justice on Thursday issued a notification for the Conduct of Elections (Amendment) Rules 2020 for extending the postal poll facility for voters above the age of 65 years in addition to Covid-19 sufferers underneath house or institutional quarantine.

Elderly individuals over the age of 65 are susceptible to the an infection, together with pregnant girls and people affected by power well being parameters like diabetes, hypertension and renal illnesses. The Union well being ministry has been repeatedly discouraging susceptible individuals from venturing out when the nation is recording a surge in coronavirus infections.

The postal poll facility had to this point been reserved just for individuals over the age of 80 and people voters concerned in important companies who aren’t posted of their house state.

Here’s all you must know concerning the change in voting guidelines:

* In the brand new notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, individuals over the age of 65 years will now be capable to vote by postal poll within the wake of the coronavirus pandemic within the nation.

* This facility may even be prolonged to individuals contaminated with coronavirus or those that are suspected of getting caught the an infection and are in institutional quarantine. Those individuals who have delicate signs and aren’t in any medical facility, however in house quarantine may also vote by means of postal poll.

* The notification was issued forward of the Bihar meeting polls which is scheduled to happen someplace between October and November. West Bengal’s meeting elections are additionally because of be held in early 2021.

* According to the regulation ministry notification, the Centre after consulting the Election Commission of India (ECI) framed new guidelines to additional amend the Conduction of Election Rules, 1961.

* The notification stated that within the rule 27A, clause (aa) of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, after the phrases “or persons with disability” occurring on the finish, the phrases, “or the Covid-19 suspect or affected persons” shall be inserted.

* In clause (e), for the figures and phrase “80 years”, the figures and phrase “65 years” shall be substituted.

* In an try to make sure that social distancing norms are adopted amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Election Commission has determined that Bihar can have extra polling stations to keep away from crowding.

* Auxiliary polling stations will likely be arrange in the identical constructing or premises of the unique polling station to unfold out voters for the upcoming Bihar meeting elections. If the auxiliary polling stations can’t be arrange in the identical constructing or premises, it could be arrange at a close-by place.

* After the outbreak of the coronavirus in India, Bihar would be the first state to have meeting polls. The state has almost 7.20 crore voters and the time period of the 243-member meeting ends on November 29 this yr. The new meeting needs to be fashioned earlier than November 29.