The postal ballots are distributed to a few categories of persons and are submitted back by these persons to election officers through post. Political parties were consulted by “The Election Commission of India (ECI)” on its decision to extend postal ballot to more categories of voters.
Only few categories of voters are allowed to vote through ballot papers:
1. Service voters (armed forces, the armed police force of a state and government servants posted abroad)
2. Voters on election duty, and
3. Voters under preventive detention.Section 60 of Representation peoples Act, 1951 provides this exclusiveness.
The Representation of the People Act, 1951 suggests that any set person getting the facility of postal ballot must be approved by government through the recommendation of ECI.
Recently ECI recommended three categories of electors for postal ballot voting :
• those 80 years and above
• persons with disabilities
• essential services workers
Right to vote’ is the legal right provided to every Indian citizens irrespective of physical deformity or physical incapability. To strengthen the spirit of democracy it is very important to expand the ambit of ‘postal ballot’.
