Polling teams, accompanied by central forces, have begun visiting homes to collect votes from the elderly (above 85 years) and persons with disabilities.

The Election Commission of India has decided that voters over 85 years of age and persons with disabilities (40% and above) will have easier access to voting through a “home voting facility” instead of visiting designated polling booths.

Sources in the commission said that the constitutional body has approved home voting facilities for over 1,85,000 electors in Bengal.

A home voting team comprises a polling official, the booth-level officer (BLO) of the area under a particular Assembly constituency, a videographer assigned by the
EC to capture the entire process, two Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, two policemen and a micro-observer.

Booth agents from political parties may be present, commission officials said.

Officials said votes cast through this process are counted as postal ballots.

“This exercise is performed under the provisions of Section 60(C) of the Representation of the People Act 1951,” a senior official of the Election Commission said.

On Wednesday, a team arrived at a home in the Behala West constituency at 12.10pm.

Two representatives of the EC, a videographer and the local booth-level officer (BLO), entered the home with five central force jawans and a constable from the local police station. Two booth-level agents of political parties accompanied them.

The team brought postal ballots for two octogenarians, one on the ground floor and the other on the first floor.

When casting their votes, the officials asked everyone else to leave the room. When finished, the ballots were put in envelopes and then sealed.

EC officials said home voting for the first phase of the Assembly polls on April 23 was completed about a week ago. The process is on for the next phase of polls on April 29.