Home voting begins for Rajasthan by-polls across 7 state assembly seats

On 4 October, Monday, a total of 3,193 Rajasthan voters, including 2,365 elderly and 828 persons with disabilities, began to cast their ballots through post from their homes for by-elections in seven Assembly constituencies.

Polling teams are reaching the homes of these voters as per a pre-determined schedule, an official said, adding that secrecy of voting is maintained, amidst the presence of representatives of political parties and candidates.

Chief electoral officer Naveen Mahajan said that as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, senior citizens above 85 years and voters with more than 40 per cent disability are given the facility of home voting with their consent.

EVM-based voting for the general populace will take place in the seven seats — Ramgarh, Dausa, Deoli–Uniyara, Jhunjhunu, Khinvsar, Salumber and Chaurasi — on 13 November and the results will be declared on 23 November.

The election office said applications for home voting were received from 3,193 eligible voters till 23 October.

Home voting was taken up after the final list of candidates for the bye-elections was ready and ballot papers were published. Mahajan said that home voting will be conducted in two phases, on 4 November and 10 November. All those voting from home will be informed in advance and the polling team will reach their homes between 4 November and 8 November.

If for any reason, the voter is not available at home at the scheduled time in the first phase, the polling team shall visit the house again on 9-10 November as a part of another effort, said an official.

According to the chief electoral officer, during the Rajasthan assembly general election of 2023, a total of 1,862 voters had used the facility of home voting in the seven constituencies.