Over 6K votes polled through postal ballot so far in RR dist

Rangareddy: With just two more days left to vote through postal ballot for the employees on election duty, the total number of votes polled so far by the service voters has reached a total of 6,764 in Rangareddy district.

As usual, the election commission has facilitated the election staff such as PO, APO, OPOs, micro observers and personnel from police department to franchise their right to vote through postal ballot.

This, because the election staff will not be able to exercise their votes on polling day given the task of polling arrangements conferred to them in their respective areas.

According to Collector and district election officer Rangareddy district Bharathi Hollikeri, the police personnel can exercise their right to vote till Monday.

“As far as the other polling staff such as Presiding Officers (POs), Assistant Presiding Officer (APOs) and POPs from all the eight assembly constituencies of the district are concerned, they need to worry as those who have applied for postal ballot till November 23 will have an opportunity to exercise their right through postal ballot till November 28,” she informed.

Meanwhile, the Collector also informed that a total number of 1817 eligible elderly and disabled voters have exercised their right to vote through the availing “Vote from Home” facility introduced by the election commission of India.

Apart from disabled voters, elderly persons above the age of 80 years were allowed to vote from home. Availing the facility, some 1988 persons applied in all the eight assembly constituencies of which 1817 voters cast their votes by November 20.

“The whole process of collecting votes from the residences of the eligible electors in all the eight assembly constituencies of the district was carried out under a strict vigil. The process was concluded last Monday,” said the official.

In order to ensure transparency in the process, she said, the special polling teams consisting of presiding officer, assistant presiding officer and police personnel were sent to the houses of applicants and completed the polling process following due procedure.

“Necessary measures were taken to ensure voters privacy while exercising the right to vote. Apart from the members of special teams, the agents of the candidates contesting the elections too were allowed to visit voters’ houses to get straight dope of the whole exercise. The whole voting process of ‘Vote from Home’ was covered with video recording to avoid any scope of apprehensions,” the Collector claimed.