DEO Leh convenes meeting regarding postal ballot for absentee voters

LEH, April 29: In preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha Election, District Election Officer,Leh, Santosh Sukhedeve held a meeting to discuss postal ballots for absentee voters in the “essential services” category at the DC Conference Hall on April 27.

This initiative is aimed at persons employed in essential services who will be unable to vote in person during the Lok Sabha Election in 2024.

Officials from different departments attended the meeting, where guidelines were provided for postal ballot voting by Absentee voters on Essential Services (AVES). The guidelines covered areas such as application verification, listing of AVES, and marking postal ballots in the electoral roll by the returning officer.

During the briefing on Absentee voters on Essential Service (AVES), Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC), Leh, Sonam Nurboo, explained that individuals who wish to apply as AVES voters must submit their application in Form 12D to the RO, providing all necessary details. Upon receipt of Form 12D, the RO will verify the names against the existing electoral roll.

He provided information about the establishment of Posting Voting Centres (PVC) and the process of notifying details of candidates, personnel, and standard operating procedures at PVC. It was mentioned that each centre should have at least one gazetted officer to verify the declaration of the elector in Form -13A and a tick mark should be placed against the elector’s name in the AVES list.

Further, it was added that after the poll closes, envelopes in form 13C shall be removed according to the daily end-of-poll procedure at PVC.

DEO informed that the Election Commission has provided two different types of facilities so that there is maximum participation from the people. One is the election duty certificate, which will be provided to the polling duty officers, and the other is the postal ballot service facility.

It was emphasised that if a person chooses postal voting, he/she will not be allowed to come to the polling booth to vote.

The meeting was attended by Auditor Cooperative Department Abdul Rashid ;Health CMO, Deskit Dolma; Deputy SP Sonam Dorjey and Tundup Dorjey; FCS&CA Ruth Mary and the heads of several other departments.