e-Postal Ballot System

e-Postal Ballot System for Service Voters

Question: Recently e-Postal Ballot System has been started for-
(a) All government employees
(b) Receiving Indian citizenship for people living abroad
(c) Service voters, including armed forces personnel
(d) Armed forces personnel
Ans: (c)
Related facts:

  • On 21 October 2016 Government by amending rule 23 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 has enabled service voters, including armed forces personnel, to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot.
  • This will resolve the difficulties and hardships encountered by the service voters, especially by the armed forces personnel serving the border and remote areas of the country.
  • Under this system a blank postal ballot paper would be transmitted to them electronically.
  • This would cut short the delay experienced in the present system in two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services.
  • The armed forces personnel serving in remote and border areas would be greatly benefitted since the present system of two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services has not been able to meet the expectations of the service voters.
  • The Election Commission proposed that the categories of voters mentioned at rule 18 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 may be made eligible for e-postal ballot system.

Reference:
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=151934
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/hindirelease.aspx?relid=55775