As many as 638 voters including senior citizens aged 85 years and above and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) are registered to avail the home voting facility in Ranchi this election. The home voting facility kicked off in the State capital on November 4. According to the statistics shared by the election commission, as of on October 15, 2024, a total of 113970 voters across Jharkhand are 85 years of age and above. As many as 367825 are PwD electors where as the number of service electors is 43995. Out of the total of 638 voters in Ranchi, 429 are those above the age of 85 while the remaining 209 are PwDs. The option to vote from home has been introduced in the Jharkhand Assembly elections for the first time. In the Lok Sabha elections which concluded in May 2024 approximately 450 voters had availed this facility. The elderly individuals and PwDs need to fill Form 12D in order to avail the home voting facility. While the facility is optional, electors who wish to cast their ballot at the polling booths will receive the necessary assistance at the venue. Persons with Disabilities need to present a certificate issued by the civil surgeon and his team stating a minimum of 40 percent disability to vote from home. Teams comprising of sector office, micro observer, polling officers, videographer, booth level officer and security personnel are deployed to visit the home electors and enable their participation. Similarly, as many as 218 electors are registered in the electoral roll under essential services and are eligible to cast their vote through postal ballot. Individuals availing the postal ballot facility also require to fill the Form 12D and can cast their ballot at Postal Voting Centre (PVC) at the District Collectorate. A total of 16 services have been identified as essential services including personnel from Railway Transport (Passenger and Goods) Service, media persons who have been issued authorisation letters with the approval of the Commission to cover polling day activities, Electricity Department, BSNL, Post and Telegram, Doordarshan, All India Radio, State Milk Federation and Milk Cooperative Societies, Health Department, Aviation, Fire Services, Traffic Police, Ambulance Service, Jail, Airports Authority of India and Press Information Bureau. Not a single voter who is eligible to vote through postal ballot should be deprived of his right to vote. Form 12D has to be filled by personnel associated with essential services, absentee voters, physically disabled and senior citizens while those voters who are on election duty have to fill Form 12, informed Chief Election Officer, K Ravi Kumar.

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