EC makes voting easy for senior citizens

Visakhapatnam: Scorching sun, age factor and health condition did not deter senior citizens from entering the polling booths. Welcoming the world's largest democratic exercise, they made a beeline for the polling stations to cast their votes on Thursday.

Dedicated queues made their task much easier as the elderly could spend less time waiting for their turn to vote. Nudged by officials and volunteers, they marched forward to choose the right candidate and showed their inked finger with a tinge of pride.

Laying emphasis on the importance of voting in a democracy, M A Shah, an 88-year-old retired employee of LIC, says, "Though this kind of weather puts me off, nothing could really stop me from voting. I consider it a weapon and urge people to utilise it judiciously."

Despite several setbacks in the democratic system, some senior citizens opined that it is far better to do our bit to select the right leader. "Voting opportunity comes once in five years. People have to choose the right leader. They should feel responsible towards bringing a change in democratic system through the collective exercise rather than refraining from it," opines M Omkara Devi, a 68-year-old senior citizen, after casting her vote.

P Kameswari's frail body did not prevent her from visiting the Railway High School, Marripalem to exercise her constitutional right. The 88-year-old woman was all chuckles when she showed her inked finger with pride. Braving the heat, some elderly persons who arrived at the polling stations were disappointed over absence of facilities.

"It was difficult to enter the sloppy area of the polling booth without any support. Keeping the rising temperatures in view, the arrangements, including water facility, could have been made better," says D V Krishna Kumari, a senior citizen who came to SEPH office, Seethammadhara, to exercise her franchise.A section of senior citizens notices a considerable change among youngsters as many came forward to exercise their constitutional right and do their bit to vote for better candidates.