Special Voting Arrangements for Election Duty Personnel in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In a progressive move, officers and staff assigned to election duty, including police personnel and vehicle staff, in Odisha now have the convenience of casting their votes at their respective duty locations.

The State Electoral Officer has meticulously organized facilitation centers at the designated places of duty to streamline the voting process for the election personnel. Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal highlighted that this initiative is a first-of-its-kind arrangement in the state, ensuring that officials engaged in poll-related responsibilities, such as presiding officers, polling officers, police personnel, and even vehicle staff, can exercise their voting rights conveniently at the voter facilitation centers located at their duty stations.

Moreover, the electoral system has provisions for citizens aged above 80 and individuals with a disability of 40% or more to avail home voting facilities, a practice successfully implemented during previous by-elections, as stated by Dhal.

With material procurement and polling staff training already in progress, Dhal affirmed the state’s full readiness for the upcoming simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections. The Election Commission of India’s notification tentatively sets the Poll Day as April 16, 2024, for reference and calculation of start and end dates in the Election Planner.