GUWAHATI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has notified the category of electors eligible for postal voting as absentee voters in essential services for the upcoming General Elections to the House of the People and Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, 2024. Additionally, bye-elections in 26 Assembly constituencies across 13 states are also included in this notification.
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The ECI's notification, dated March 19, 2024, under Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, identifies various classes of essential service workers eligible for postal voting while on duty on the day of the poll. This measure aims to facilitate the voting process for individuals employed in critical services who may not be able to visit polling stations due to their work commitments.
Among the categories mentioned in the notification as far as Assam is concerned are field-level engineers and employees of the Public Health Engineering Department, health workers engaged in medical-related election duties and emergency services, personnel associated with ambulance services, fire and emergency services, traffic police, jail employees, civil defence, home guards, employees of emergency operation centres, information assistants, media persons authorised by the Election Commission of India, employees of power distribution companies, long-distance services of the Assam State Transport Corporation, employees of telecommunications and transportation sectors including BSNL, railways, aviation, and shipping.
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Additionally, each department is required to nominate a "Nodal Officer" responsible for overseeing the postal ballot facility and informing eligible electors about the process.