Page 189 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Elections during a Pandemic Chapter 7

Besides voters aged above 80 and PwD voters, the facility of Postal Ballot was extended to those quarantined on account of the pandemic

During the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly elections in and electors with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-
November and December, 2019 the Election Commission 19 had an option to fill Form-12 D to avail the facility of
had introduced the concept of ‘Absentee Voters’ for voting exclusively through postal ballot. A separate team of
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and 80+ aged voters, who in polling officials visited the houses of voters in the aforesaid
select constituencies, were permitted to vote from home category to distribute and then collect the filled-in forms of
using postal ballot. The facility was extended to all 243 those who opted for the facility. More than 12 lakh forms
Assembly Constituencies during Bihar elections. Electors in were distributed, and subsequently voting compartments
categories like PwDs, 80+ years, notified essential services, were set up at their doorsteps.

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