Sarangarh – Bilaigarh. (13:04): Under the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Election Commission of India has designated 10 services as “Essential Services” in Chhattisgarh. These services include the Health Department, Electricity Department, Railway Transport, Posts and Telegram Department, BSNL, All India Radio, Doordarshan, Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Milk Union Limited, authorized media persons, and the Food Corporation of India.
Employees in these essential services, unable to visit polling stations due to official duties, can vote via postal ballot. They must submit Form 12D to the Assistant Returning Officer within five days of the election notification, from April 12th to April 16th, 2024. Form 12D requires details such as mobile number, voter ID number, part number, and serial number in the voter list, along with a photocopy of the Voter ID card.
Nodal officers at the district level will verify Form 12D applications. Eligible absentee mandatory category voters will be facilitated with postal voting, conducted at a Postal Voting Center in the district, operating from 9 am to 5 pm for three consecutive days as determined by the Returning Officer. Candidates will be informed of the establishment of the Postal Voting Center, allowing observation through personal presence or authorized representatives, along with videography of the process.
After each day of voting, received postal ballots will be sealed and stored in a strong room located at the Treasury. Voters will be informed about the date and place of the Postal Voting Center establishment upon Form 12D acceptance, enabling them to cast their votes. Those availing this facility cannot vote at polling stations on polling day. Therefore, individuals from these services able to vote at polling stations on polling day need not fill out Form 12D.
