HOME VOTING – 18TH LOK SABHA ELECTION

• As a progressive initiative, ECI for the first time in a Lok Sabha election, has provided the facility of home voting for elderly citizens above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with a 40% benchmark disability.
• The initiative will help in ensuring an equitable, approachable and inclusive electoral process.
• This initiative marks a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and in bolstering democratic participation.
• There are over 81 lakhs 85+ aged voters and 90 lakhs + PwD voters registered across the country.

OTHER STEPS TAKEN BY ECI:

Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) :

• The primary goal is to build a truly participative democracy in India by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision during the elections.

VOTER VERIFIED PAPER AUDIT TRAIL (VVPAT)

• VVPAT is an independent system attached with EVM that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.
• When a vote is cast, a slip is printed containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate and remains exposed through a transparent window for 7 seconds.
• Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail with EVM was used for the first time in the by-election to Noksen Assembly Constituency of Nagaland in 2013.

cVIGIL App:

• cVIGIL is a mobile application developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enable citizens to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections.