Absentee electors in IE to vote from Feb 16 to 25
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 13 2022:
Imphal East District Election Officer (DEO) and DC, Khumanthem Diana Devi has informed that arrangement for conduct of voting through postal ballot for absentee voters in 10 Assembly segments in Imphal East district has been completed.
Announcing this to media persons here at the District Election Office today, Diana said that preparation for voting through postal ballot with strict adherence to the guidelines of the Election Commission has been completed and voters, who are eligible for the facility, can exercise their franchise from February 16 to 25 in two rounds.
It may be noted that PwD (person with disabilities), senior citizens (above 80 years), officers on essential election duty as notified by the ECI and Covid positive patients can avail the postal ballot facility.
To enable collection and delivery of the postal ballot for absentee voters , at least 16 all-women polling teams consisting of 2 polling officers, a videographer, a micro-observer and a half section of armed security personnel have been constituted, she said.
In all, the number of absentee voters who are eligible for the facility in Imphal East is 1524 of which 1254 are senior citizens while another 270 are PwD.
However, no Covid patients from the district have applied for the postal ballot, she said.
The first round will be held from February 16 to 23 and the concerned polling teams will visit Khundrakpam, Heingang, Khurai, Kshetrigao and Andro ACs during February 16 to 19 from 9 am to 5 pm (except on February 16 on which visiting hour will be from 8 am to 4 pm).
Meanwhile, the polling teams will visit Thongju, Keirao, Lamlai, Yaiskul and Wangkhei ACs from February 20 to 23 from 9 am to 5 pm, she said.
In the second round, the polling teams will visit Khundrakpam, Heingang, Khurai, Kshetrigao and Andro ACs on February 24 and Thongju, Keirao, Lamlai, Yaiskul and Wangkhei ACs on February 25 from 9 am to 5 pm, she said.
The whole process will be recorded and concerned candidates may assign authorized agents, she said and urged all concerned Returning Officers (ROs) to issue authorization letters.
The DEO further informed that 2702 services personnel from the said Assembly segments will avail postal ballot.
Of the total, six are listed in the essential service and they will be informed of the details of their postal ballot centre by ROs concerned.
They will go to poll from February 23 to 25 (9 am to 5 pm), she said.
Other 1732 poll personnel from the said ACs who are on election duty will also vote through postal ballot and they may submit their form till February 21.For this, 5 felicitation centres will be opened on February 24 at multipurpose hall, Modern College; audio visual hall, Modern College; SIRD training hall, Imphal East DC office complex; Panchayat Bhavan, DC office complex and DIC Hall, Porompat, she said.
Time and place for postal ballot facility will be intimated to concerned absentee voters via SMS, she said while appealing all to be present at the assigned sites.
She also appealed to all to co-operate in ensuring free and fair elections.
The press meet was also attended by SP Imphal East, Maharambam Pradip Singh who also informed all that necessary security arrangements in connection with the upcoming State Assembly election in the district has been made.
He also maintained that 93.40 percent of the licensed arms in the district have been deposited.