Sarangarh/Bilaigarh. (02:04): For the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Chhattisgarh, the Election Commission of India has identified 10 services as “Essential Services.” These services encompass the Health Department, Electricity Department, Railway Transport, Posts and Telegram Department, BSNL, All India Radio, Doordarshan, Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Milk Union Limited, authorized media personnel, and the Food Corporation of India. Employees in these essential services, unable to visit polling stations due to official duties, are eligible for postal voting. They must submit Form 12D to the relevant Assistant Returning Officer within five days of the election notification. In Sarangarh Bilaigarh district, notifications will be accepted from April 12 to April 17, 2024. This provision applies to Surguja, Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Korba, Bilaspur, Durg, and Raipur districts.
The deadline for submitting Form 12D for the Lok Sabha constituency is April 17, 2024. Applicants must accurately provide their mobile number, voter ID number, part number, and serial number from the voter list in the application. Additionally, a photocopy of the Voter ID card must be attached. The Voter Helpline App can be utilized to determine the updated part number and serial number in the electoral roll by entering the Voter ID card number. District-level nodal officers are required to verify the applications received in Form 12D, Part 2.
All eligible absentee mandatory category voters received by the specified deadline will cast their votes through postal ballots at a designated Postal Voting Center in the district. The Postal Voting Center will operate from 9 am to 5 pm for three consecutive days as determined by the Returning Officer. Candidates contesting the election will be informed about the establishment of the Postal Voting Center to observe the proceedings personally or through their authorized representatives. Videography of the entire process will also be conducted.
After each voting session, all received postal ballots will be stored in a secure room located in the Treasury, and the ballot box will be sealed. Upon receipt and acceptance of Form 12D applications, voters will be notified of the date and location of the Postal Voting Center to facilitate their participation. These voters will not be able to cast their votes at the polling station on polling day. Therefore, those eligible individuals from the specified services who can vote at the polling station on polling day are not eligible for this postal voting facility and do not need to fill out Form 12D.
