Seniors Excited to Cast Votes at Homes, Elated With Process Over Fears of Missing Out

Hyderabad: Eighty-year-old G. Eshwar Reddy, a retired road contractor, has never missed exercising his franchise in the elections since the first time he cast his vote as a youngster. While he had apprehensions about the possibility of casting his vote in the face of advancing age, he was elated on Thursday morning as he beamed with happiness on being allowed to cast his vote through the postal ballot by the Election Commission of India.

There was much excitement for the senior voter, as polling staff set up a makeshift booth at his residence and deployed a police official for the process. As the duty officer marked his finger with indelible ink, he challenged the notion that voting was best left to the youth, saying: “This is the first time I have exercised the postal ballot option. I am happy with the Election Commission of India’s initiative.”

His son Srinivas Reddy, also a senior citizen, said that voting was a crucial exercise for his father. “When a relative passed away on the day of elections once, he cast his vote before attending the last rites,” he said.

Sanjay Singh, the returning officer, said: “We came to this place yesterday because this is a new practice. The family was not convinced and asked us to visit the next day. We are proud to arrange a polling station for paper ballot voting. This assures that we live in a country where every citizen is important in electing the representative.”

S. Narsimha Goud, an assistant sub-inspector attached to the Filmnagar police station, played a crucial role in ensuring the sanctity of the voting process.

Rama Krishan, one of the polling officers, said, “The ballot is kept secret, similar to how it happens in a regular election. The only difference is that here there is no facility of EVM.”

The exercise is part of a broader initiative by the election commission to allow senior citizens aged above 80 and persons with disabilities (PwDs) to cast their votes. It received 29,267 applications, including 17,105 seniors, 9,964 PwDs and 2,198 essential services employees.

Madhavamma, an 83-year-old voter, shared her joy of paper ballot voting with Deccan Chronicle, saying she was afraid she would not be able to go to the polling station.

“The last time I went to vote, it was pretty difficult to travel, with my daughter having to pick me up, take me to my polling station that is 15 kilometres away and then going back to vote at her station. I'm glad she registered me for this,” she said.

Sharing that her father was a key member of the Telangana struggle in the 1980s and made her passionate about governance, policies and leaders, said: “I hope my daughter, who is also growing older, and my peers, will make the most of this facility.”

Another voter, Prabhakar K., said he was intrigued by how the process still ensured secrecy. “They took a video. When asked why, they said it was proof of him having voted and having done so in absolute secrecy,” he said.

His brother Sudhakar K.S. said: “None of the family members were allowed near him. He was briefed about the process before being asked if he could confirm that he could vote freely. The officials were extremely patient in answering all of my brother's questions.”

Hari Krishna, a polling officer who took part in the process, said that extra care was being taken to brief PwDs and elderly voters about the polling date a day or two in advance. “We clear the place, ensure the voter is comfortable, understands how to vote, keep others away from the makeshift polling booth and then go ahead with the process. Almost all home voters we've visited were very cooperative and excited,” he said.