By- NAITEEK BHATT
As India gears up to hold the world's largest election in History, special emphasis has been placed on taking care of the special needs of elderly voters and those with physical disablities.
The Country's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar Said on March 16 that the elderly and those with physical disabilities will be given the option to vote from their homes in a first in Indian general elections.
"Generally the tendency has been that the senior citizens want to participate in the process and walk to the booth. But this time, we have given them options to vote in their homes," the CEC said.
The top election official said that the facility can also be availed by those with more than 40 per cent disablity. To avail the facility, voters must submit form 12 D with the election body within five days of the poll notification.
According to the latest data provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI), there are about 8.2 million senior citizen voters in the country who can vote in the elections conducted for Lok sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
The facility was first introduced in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.