It might still be a week for Delhi to go to polls, but the Capital is already witnessing a huge surge in voting through postal ballots. A whopping 17-fold increase has already been registered so far compared to the voting in 2008. Till Wednesday, 26,000 of the total 75,000 voters had exercised their franchise.
In 2008, the total number of such voters stood at just 1,628. This significant increase in the percentage of polling through postal ballots has been achieved owing to the aggressive campaign by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi. Meanwhile, arrangements have been made to ensure that all the 35,000 Delhi Police personnel and officers and the rank and file of Delhi Government who will be on duty during the polling day, are allowed to vote.
The initiative has seen 23,606 Delhi Police personnel and those from the Delhi Government cast their votes in the first two days. The process will continue till December 3 for allowing them to participate in the electoral process.
The break up of the employees from the Delhi Government and its subsidiary shows that 19,807 employees of different ranks from the civil administration voted through postal ballots while 3,799 police personnel exercised their franchise till Tuesday.
According to the figures available with the poll body, there are 75,000 such employees of the civil administration out which 35,000 are from the Delhi Police. These voters had not exercised their rights in 2008 Assembly polls. The total number of votes cast through postal ballots then was a meager 1,628. On Tuesday, total 10,919 people cast their vote through postal ballot in the national Capital while 12,690 people have voted through postal ballot on Monday.
The effort to ensure the participation of the Government employees and the Delhi Police personnel on election duty was initiated by the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev.
All those enlisted for the poll duty were also issued an advisory that they should use the postal ballot as an option to caster their votes since they will be busy in manning the security of the polling booths and the election process. “A sensitisation process was also launched in the various departments of the Delhi Government to motivate the staffers and officers to use this option as each and every vote matters in this democratic spectacle. The electoral office is trying to get 100 per cent polling through postal ballot. Special camp and number of meetings were held with Delhi Police and other Delhi Government employees who are poll duty to ensure them to cast their votes,” Dev said.
The chief electoral officer expressed hope that the election office will meet the target this year and create a history as far as postal ballot is concerned. Dev said that special arrangements have been made in police stations and other polling stations so that both police and civilian could cast their vote.