Vote From Home | For Old & People With Disability | Check Your Eligibility

What Is Home Voting?

The Election Commission of India has introduced a new initiative for people above the age of 85 and those with disabilities who want to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections using the home voting facility.

Senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PwD) are often overlooked in society. This initiative by the ECI ensures inclusivity and accessibility in the electoral process, helping India to become a more non-discriminatory nation.

India is a democratic nation, every vote holds power. There are around 81 lakh 85+-year-old voters and 90 lakh PwD voters registered across the nation. Through this initiative, the ECI is making sure they also get a chance to vote. This upholds the Commission’s motto of ensuring no voter is left behind.

A lot of people couldn’t vote in the previous elections due to less accessibility and convenience, but since this initiative, all the people in this category don’t have to worry about getting to the polling booth.

Mr. BR Mishra from Jaysingh Nagar, Madhya Pradesh, after availing of home voting, conveyed joy and appreciation and said, “आप लोगों ने अपना जो कर्त्तव्य किया है वो प्रशंसनीय है, बहुत अच्छा काम किया है कह सकता हूँ आपने जो अपने कर्तव्यों का निर्वहन किया है." (I can say that the way you have discharged your duties is extraordinary; if all of us work like this, then we will make our country proud.) This is one of the many happy and proud voters who got to use the home voting facility.

Watch this video on Home Voting and how it is empowering the senior citizens and PwD section of Indian society.

What To Know About The Home Voting Process?

• Within 5 days of the election notification, fill out the 12D Form and submit it to the returning officer. The PwDs will have to submit a baseline disability certificate along with the form.

• Candidates will receive a list of these voters for transparency. They can also choose to send a representative to supervise the process.

• The voters will get a notification about the days when their home voting facility will be active. This is done to make the procedure even simpler and to improve accessibility.

• On the day of the elections, a team of polling officers and security officials will visit the residences of these voters to collect their votes.

This is the first time that the Election Commission of India has decided to provide this liberty to the above-mentioned category of people.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, stated that utmost secrecy will be kept in this case, and a team will be sent to the respective aged voter's houses during the home voting process. The whole thing will be videographed in case of any suspicion or doubts about tampering.

Rajiv Kumar also stated that all the political parties will be notified beforehand whenever there is a case of a vote from home.