ECI starts process to provide postal ballot facility to essential-services personnel for UP polls

Lucknow, Oct8 (UNI) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the process for providing postal ballot facilities to officers and personnel engaged in essential services who may be unable to vote at their designated polling stations due to being on duty on polling day during the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2027.

A meeting in this regard was held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa with officials from various departments. Rinwa said personnel engaged in essential services notified by the ECI are entitled to vote through postal ballot as per the prescribed rules. The concerned departments have been asked to furnish details of the essential services covered under their departments, along with necessary information about the officers and personnel engaged in such services. Rinwa clarified that a separate arrangement for Election Duty Certificates (EDCs) or postal ballots (PBs) is made for personnel deployed on election duty, as per rules. Postal ballots are provided to personnel engaged in essential services under a separate arrangement. Rinwa asked the concerned departments to provide the required information in a timely manner so that the process of extending the postal ballot facility to eligible personnel can be completed smoothly ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

He further said that departments which do not require postal ballot facilities for their officers or employees engaged in essential services should communicate the same to the Chief Electoral Officer's office in writing. Officials from the Information and Public Relations Department, Medical Health and Family Welfare Department, Postal Department, Energy Department, Police, Civil Aviation, Railways, Metro Rail, Doordarshan, All India Radio and BSNL attended the meeting.

UNI MBD AAB