‘Made me feel my vote is valued’: Senior citizens as polling booths reach their homes

In order to increase voting percentage, this year, polling booths are being set up at homes of senior citizens above 85.

Lok Sabha elections, senior citizens voting at home

88-year-old Leela Krishnamurthy Bhat votes at her home in Prabhat road. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

Leela Krishnamurty Bhat, 88, called her daughter and relatives with excitement after she cast her vote on Monday. She was so elated because she got to exercise her right to vote in the premises of her own home at Prabhat Road. The polling booth was set up in Bhat’s home under a new initiative by the Election Commission of India. In order to increase voting percentage, this year, polling booths are being set up at homes of senior citizens above 85. In Pune, 1,675 senior citizens have availed this facility. Vote from home will be conducted over three days, from May 6 to 8 in Pune.

Bhat, who has never missed voting in her life, said, “It really made me feel like my vote is valued. There aren’t many young kids around me, but I do tell my grandson to not miss voting.” Leela’s son, Rajesh Bhat said, “She was really worried about the rush that is part and parcel of reaching the polling booth and casting votes. In 2019, she was still in better shape health wise, so we could take her to the polling station. This year it seemed really difficult, so this initiative was a huge relief and is very welcome.”

But arranging these polling booths at home was not a one day affair. Booth level officers conducted a survey to find senior citizens who might need this facility. Also when this was announced, some families got in touch with the EC to avail it.

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Parshuram Narayan Vaval, 87, casts his vote from home. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

“A month ago, EC people came home and saw dad’s condition. They saw that he couldn’t walk and asked for our permission if they could come home to set up a polling booth. After 15 days, they visited us again, did some documentation work and discussed the tentative schedule. Yesterday they informed us that they will visit us between 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and asked us to be ready,” said daughter of Parshuram Narayan Vaval, 87, who cast his vote from home.

Parshuram said, “It was a great experience. I stay in touch with news everyday and based on that, I vote. When the EC officials came, they explained everything to me on how to vote, provided me with a voting slip and also an envelope. I ticked on the slip, put it in the envelope on my own, sealed it and gave it to them.”

The team that goes to each polling booth consists of three officials, one sipahi, one booth level officer, one policeman and a videographer. A booth level officer said, “We first took their consent and they signed a letter which said they are comfortable voting from home. It was a great experience for us as well, some were eagerly waiting for us, all dressed. Their excitement was infectious.”

Mangal Madhusudhan Ghare, 91, said, “This was a unique experience. But it is also fun to vote from the polling booth because there is that atmosphere to it and you get to meet a lot of people who you haven’t seen in a long time.”

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SVEEP nodal officer, Archana Tambe said, “The highest number of voters in Maharashtra are from Pune. Our entire machinery has been taking efforts and tailoring campaigns for different voter demographics like senior citizens, women, transgenders, etc. Everyone who is eligible should come out and vote in large numbers.”

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