Kulgam, Sept 11: On the first day of the three-day home voting exercise in Kulgam district, 195 votes were cast, marking a significant turnout. The initiative, introduced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), allows eligible persons with disabilities (PwDs) and senior citizens above 85 years of age to vote from home.
Kulgam district, which comprises the 38-D H Pora, 39-Kulgam, and 40-Devsar assembly constituencies, had 202 registered voters who applied for the home voting facility. Deputy District Election Officer Bilal Kamgar reported that 51 voters in D H Pora, 70 in Kulgam, and 81 in Devsar opted for the facility. On the first day, nearly all those who applied exercised their right through paper ballots as teams visited their homes.
Kamgar noted that in Kulgam, 68 voters cast their ballots, while Devsar and D H Pora saw 77 and 50 votes, respectively. The Kulgam administration deployed dedicated teams, supported by security personnel, to facilitate the process smoothly.
Haleema Begum, an 86-year-old resident of Kund, expressed her gratitude for the initiative. “It would have been difficult to reach the polling station at my age, but thanks to the ECI’s home voting initiative, I could vote comfortably from home,” she shared.
The home voting initiative aims to boost participation and make the electoral process more inclusive for PwD and elderly voters across the district. The exercise will continue for the next two days, ensuring broader participation in the democratic process.
Meanwhile, a total of 128 votes were cast out of the 138 designated for both Assembly constituencies on the inaugural day of the Home Voting process in Shopian district, .
In the 37-Shopian Assembly Constituency, 77 out of 87 votes were cast, while in the 36-Zainapora constituency, all 51 votes were successfully recorded. The remaining voters who could not participate today are scheduled to vote on the second day of the process.
Polling parties undertook extensive treks to reach remote villages, ensuring that home voters could exercise their franchise in a free and fair manner.
Elderly individuals over the age of 85 and persons with disabilities (PwDs) were given the opportunity to vote from their homes due to their inability to visit polling stations on Election Day. The voters expressed their appreciation for the District Election Office, Shopian, and the Election Commission of India for implementing this innovative and empowering initiative.
