For the first time in Lok Sabha election history, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has granted mediapersons on poll duty the facility to vote through postal ballots. This landmark decision ensures that journalists covering the election day activities will not miss out on exercising their voting rights due to being away from their designated polling stations.
This significant move, announced by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, aligns with the ECI’s commitment to making the electoral process more inclusive. Following consultations with state and Union Territory administrations, a notification was issued on Tuesday, categorizing mediapersons as ‘absentee voters on essential service’ under Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This provision now encompasses polls to the Lok Sabha, the simultaneous four state assembly elections, and all by-elections.
To avail of this facility, journalists, armed with authorization letters approved by the ECI, need to notify the returning officer (RO) in their constituency of their intent to use the postal ballot. Upon verification of the authorization letter or possibly the state or PIB accreditation card, the RO will facilitate the process for the mediaperson to fill out Form 12D and collect their postal ballot. The completed ballot can then be mailed back to the RO office, ensuring that journalists on duty do not have to forego their democratic right to vote.
This extension of postal ballot facilities to mediapersons, previously implemented in several state elections, underscores the ECI’s efforts to accommodate the needs of essential service providers during the electoral process.
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