Delhi Assembly Elections 2020: How to Vote by Postal Ballot

The Delhi assembly polls will be held on February 8 and the counting of votes will take place on February 11. Three major parties will be fighting it out in the Delhi Assembly Election 2020 -- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress. The last date for filing nominations is January 21 while the last date of withdrawal of candidature for the Delhi Vidhan Sabha election 2020 is January 24.

The Election Commission has announced postal ballot facility for absentee voters to ensure larger voter participation. According to the EC, absentee voters, including person with disability (PwD) and senior citizens who are above 80 years, will have to submit form 12D between January 14 and 19 to avail the facility.

The EC also revealed that the poll panel has formed mobile teams of volunteers who will go to the voter at their residence and facilitate postal ballot voting for them.

This is apart from the provisions of ramps, wheelchair, pick-up and drop facilities, sign language volunteers and Braille voter photo slips to facilitate better voter turnout.

According to the Election Commission website, "These two categories of voters- senior citizen of more than 80 years of age and PwD electors marked in the electoral roll will have now choice of voting either as absentee voter or as a regular voter on the poll day.”

The poll panel said that an elector will be issued a postal ballot paper after the receipt of an application in a 12 D form. The ballot paper shall be deposited in the specified centre after recording of vote."

Electronically transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)

The ETPBS is developed by the Election Commission of India with help or Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for the use of the Service Voters.

The ETBS has two layers of security and secrecy is maintained through the use of OTP and PIN. No duplication of cast ETPB is possible due to a unique QR Code.

The system is present within the existing Postal Ballot System. Postal Ballot is transmitted through electronic means to voters, enabling them to cast their vote on an electronically received postal ballot from their location.

Electors eligible for ETPBS

Apart from senior citizens and PwDs, service voters, the wife of a service voters and oversea voters are eligible for ETPBS.