• For the first time in the Lok Sabha election’s history, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has allowed senior persons 85 years of age and more and people with disabilities to use the “vote-from-home”
• The ‘vote-from-home’ facility is solely reserved for the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens aged 85 and above.
• This decision would allow more than 85 lakh senior citizens and 4 lakh persons with disabilities to cast their votes by postal ballots.

HISTORY

• The facility was previously attempted during Assembly elections in select areas, allowing PwD, senior citizens and those affected by Covid-19 to vote from home.
• In the past 11 Assembly elections, the scheme has helped almost 3.30 lakh persons with disabilities and electors above 80 years.
• In the Karnataka Assembly Elections last year, nearly one lakh PwD and older electors, out of the total 18 lakhs, had used the house balloting postal poll approach.

HOW CAN THE FACILITY BE AVAILED?

• Key to the system is Form 12D, that’s a letter informing the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) that the person might not be in a position to go to the polling station to vote.
• The form can be downloaded online from the ECI website or accumulated from the office of the representative district officer of a parliamentary constituency.
• Distribution of Form 12D has already started out in Tamil Nadu districts, as the State heads to the national polls on April 19.
• The form has to be filled and submitted within 5 days of notification of the polling date.