Home voting was today conducted smoothly in Samba district for Senior citizens (AVSC) and PwDs (AVPD) in three Assembly constituencies of 69-Ramgarh, 70-Samba and 71-Ramgarh to ensure an inclusive and participative election. District Election Officer Samba, Abhishek Sharma constituted 49 teams to facilitate home voting of 514 voters under AVSC and AVPD categories.
Out of 49 teams constituted for home voting, 18 teams were deputed for Vijaypur constituency, 15 for Ramgarh constituency and 16 teams for Samba constituency. Of 514 electors, including persons above 85 year and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the district, 498 voters (96.88%) exercised their franchise by availing the optional home voting facility on 1st day of the home voting.
This initiative of home voting marked a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and in bolstering democratic participation. The DEO emphasized that despite many challenges, a polling team travelled 25 KM by bus and 7 KM on foot to reach village Padal in district Samba to facilitate Home Voting facility to a elderly voter, Puran Singh.
Similarly the polling teams also visited border villages located adjacent to the international border. The Voters, who availed the home voting facility in district Samba expressed gratitude and hailed the ECI initiative. Voting from home took place with involvement of a full contingent of polling staff and security personnel with secrecy of voting diligently maintained.
DEO said that home voting has removed barriers, thus allowing every citizen, regardless of their circumstances, to exercise their democratic right. It fosters a more inclusive and representative democracy by ensuring that everyone's voice is heard and accounted for in the electoral process.