New Delhi, March 19 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued directions on Thursday to facilitate voting by elderly citizens, persons with disabilities (PwD), service voters, and election duty personnel, using postal ballots, in the upcoming Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory, an official said.
"As per Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Commission has notified that electors aged 85 years and above, and persons with disabilities (PwDs) listed in the electoral rolls, may cast their vote through postal ballot," the official said in a statement.
The postal ballots must reach the concerned Returning Officers (ROs) by 8 a.m. on May 4, 2026, the date of vote counting, the statement said.
The ECI said that these voters can avail this facility using Form-12 D and submitting it to the RO through their booth-level officer within five days of the election notification.
"Polling teams will collect their votes at their homes, according to a schedule prepared by the respective Returning Officers and shared with the candidates," the statement added.
Voters on essential services on the date of polling can apply for the postal ballot facility through the designated nodal officer of their respective department, the ECI said.
"Essential services such as fire services, health, electricity, traffic, ambulance services, aviation, and long-distance Government Road Transport Corporations are covered under this facility," the poll body added.
Media personnel authorised by the Election Commission for poll day coverage have also been included in the category of absentee voters on essential services and are entitled to the postal ballot facility, the statement said.
A voter on election duty will receive their postal ballot, record their vote, and return it at the facilitation centre.
The ECI has issued directions in this regard to ensure that voting takes place with complete secrecy for the voter at the facilitation centre, the statement added.
Service voters will be sent their postal ballots electronically by the RO through the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System, immediately upon finalisation of the list of contesting candidates.
Service voters are not required to bear the cost of postal services, the statement said.
ECI Deputy Director, P. Pawan, said in a statement that the Returning Officer (RO)/District Election Officer (DEO) have also been directed to brief the political parties/contesting candidates regarding the above provisions.
While announcing the Assembly election schedule on Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, "Assam and Kerala will go to the polls in a single phase on April 9. The Union Territory of Puducherry will go to the polls on April 9. In Tamil Nadu, all 234 Assembly seats will go to polls in a single phase on April 23."
"For the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, the polling will be held in two phases. As many as 152 Assembly seats will go to polls on April 23, while the second phase will be held for the remaining 142 seats on April 29," Paswan added.
The results in all states and the lone Union Territory will be announced on May 4.