Postal ballots sent to service voters : CEO
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 14 2022: Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur has informed that out of 21944 total service electors in Manipur, postal ballots have been sent to 12605 service electors electronically i.e.through ETPBS by the respective Returning Officers in the first phase.

In a statement, the CEO further shared that in the second phase, postal ballots will be sent to 9339 service electors electronically within 24 hours from the finalization of contesting candidates on February 16, 2022 .

Postal ballot papers have also been approved to be issued for 6019 absentee voters (PwD and 80+) in the first phase and 2687 absentee voters in the second phase by the respective ROs.

And 195 polling teams have been formed for home visits for distribution and collection of postal ballots papers, the statement shared.

The ECI allows postal ballot facility to all voters on election duty.

This includes polling agents, polling officers, presiding officers, security personnel and any other such public servant.

In case they are put on election duty in the same Constituency they are enrolled in as a voter, they must get an Election Duty Certificate and if they are put on election duty in a different Constituency, they are entitled to a postal ballot (PB), as per the statement.

Further, the DEOs and SPs will appoint Nodal Officers to coordinate all activities including ensuring that the application in Form 12 and 12A are duly filled in and sent to the concerned ROs at least 7 days before the date of poll.

The DEO concerned will also appoint one senior officer as in-charge of postal balloting at each Facilitation Centre and every voter must cast their postal ballot in the Facilitation Ballot Box after marking it and sealing it in the envelope.

These postal ballot papers are to be issued in person.

In cases where voters on election duty cannot cast their PB at the Facilitation Centre, the RO should send the PB to their address by registered post and the PB must be returned by post itself.

As per the statement, on the day of dispatch of polling parties, the Facilitation Ballot Box will be kept at the dispatch centre so that any election duty official who did not cast their vote at the training session may do so.

The statement from the CEO also reiterated that PB paper must be issued in person, every voter must cast their PB in the Facilitation Ballot Box and those who cannot do so must vote via post.

The office of the ROs will not provide any dropbox facility, the statement clarified.

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