Bishnupur teams reach out to postal ballot voters
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR

Bishnupur, February 18 2022: In accordance to the ECI's objective of ensuring inclusive and accessible election, district officials on Friday carried out house-to-house visit of approved absentee voters to provide the facility of voting through postal ballot.

Second round of house visit for left-out absentee voters, if required, will be done on February 23 .

Different teams especially formed for the task went to the homes of Absentee Voters belonging to the category of Senior Citizens (AVSC) and PWDs (AVPD) to enable them cast the votes through postal ballot in six assembly constituencies of Bishnupur district.

The District Election Office informed that 656 AVSC and 170 AVPD voters have been recognised by respective ROs in the district and they will be allowed to vote from their residences through postal ballot.

No application was submitted for Absentee Voters in the category of Covid patients, it continued, while adding that those who failed to vote during the stipulated four days could cast their votes on February 23.The six assembly constituencies in Bishnupur district are Nambol, Oinam, Bishnupur, Moirang, Thanga and Kumbi.

Meanwhile, the second round of randomisation and commissioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) to be used in the Assembly Election was held at the Mini Secretariat complex here on Thursday.

The entire randomisation and commissioning process was carried out as per procedures laid down by Election Commission of India through EVM Management System (EMS).

Central election observers, representatives of contesting candidates, DEO Bishnupur, returning officers and other election officials of the district were present during the exercise.

On completion of commissioning, the EVMs and VVPATs will be stored and sealed in a strong room.

Besides putting under 24x7 CCTV surveillance, two-fold security measures will be put in place for the strong room, explained district election officer L Bikram to candidates' election agents.

He continued that Central Armed Police Forces will guard the strong room in addition to state forces deployed within the vicinity of Mini Secretariat complex.

Entry in the strong room without authorisation from DEO will'be restricted, he added.

On the other-hand, a training programme for polling teams appointed for absentee voters was conducted on Thursday at PRC Hall located within the Mini Secretariat complex.

Altogether 19 polling teams comprising supervisors, polling officers and videographers attended the training programme.

Complete list of eligible absentee voters from all the six constituencies of the district have been forwarded to all the 22 contesting candidates by the returning officers.

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