PANAJI
Polling personnel for Lok Sabha elections in Goa will have to cast their votes through ballot papers at designated facilitation centres only and their entire voting process would be video-graphed.
In view of the upcoming parliamentary polls, Goa Chief Electoral Officer IAS Ramesh Verma on Wednesday held a meeting with the representatives of political parties wherein State's preparedness for the polls was discussed.
During the meeting, Verma said that the election rules have been tweaked to ensure that the voters on election duty don’t keep the postal ballot with them for too long, ultimately resulting into misuse. Verma informed that polling personnel who have been issued Postal Ballot will have to cast their vote only at the Facilitation Centres. Total 17 Training Centres have been identified in which Facilitation centres will be setup for casting of votes by poll officials. The entire process of voting at facilitation centres will be video-graphed.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) was of the view that if a postal ballot remains with a voter for a long time, the person could be highly susceptible to undue influence, threats, bribery and other unethical means by candidates or political parties.
During the meeting, the CEO highlighted the new initiatives that the election commission has proposed including Green Highway concept, wherein medicinal or fruit bearing samplings would be planted through every voter and polling officials at selected polling stations located in the vicinity of national highways. “This initiative will help us leave a greener footprint and the efforts of election team toward a greener and a resilient environment for all,” he said.
Verma also said that all the 1725 polling booths will be decorated using local traditional materials showing the unique identity of Goa to rest of the States. He said this time a fifth category of Youth staff will be deployed to handle the polling booth like Pink and PwD booths.
According to the draft electoral roll, as on date, 11,66,939 voters are eligible to cast their vote for the LS polls. However, the registration of new voters will continue and one can register in the electoral roll till the last date of filing of nominations by the candidates and attain the right to vote.
The five-year term of the 17th Lok Sabha is due to expire in June 2024.
