Vote to strengthen, flourish Democracy

Staff Reporter

Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan has called upon all the voters to participate in the great festival of democracy and exercise their franchise. The Chief Electoral Officer appealed to all the voters to vote and said that they should reach their polling booths on November 17 and take an active part in strengthening the Indian democracy through 100 per cent voting. He was addressing a press conference at Nirvachan Sadan, Arera Hills, Bhopal. Rajan said that the voting process will be conducted from 7 am to 6 pm on November 17. Voting will be held in some assembly constituencies of Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori districts of the state only from 7 am to 3 pm. He said that citizens are the torch-bearers of rich democratic traditions. Democracy becomes refined and flourishes only through active participation of voters. Voting has provided another opportunity to further enrich the democratic tradition and fulfill our constitutional duty.

Rajan has said that free, fair and transparent election process is an important step in democracy. The vote of every voter of the state is important in the election process. Voting for Assembly Elections-2023 is on November 17. He has appealed to every voter of the State to vote freely and fearlessly. Rajan has said that in order to make the entire election process smooth, accessible and inclusive, for the first time in the State, special facilities have been provided for voting, mainly for the disabled and senior voters above 80 years of age. These voters were provided the facility to vote from home. Through the Saksham app, any disabled voter can request for a wheelchair or other assistive device. To ensure that the elderly do not have to stand in queues, they are being given the facility to vote first. Adequate arrangements for shade, drinking water and toilets have been made at all polling stations.

Documents needed: Apart from voter identity card, voters will be able to cast their vote by showing any one of the 12 optional photo documents. The Election Commission has distributed Voter Information Slip with QR code to all the voters in the Assembly Elections 2023. From the voter information slip with QR code, voters will be able to get other important information like number, address of their polling station, number in the electoral roll, helpline number of the state and district. If a voter does not have a voter information slip and his name is in the voters’ list, then in addition to the voter ID card with photo, any one of 12 alternative photo documents including Aadhar card, MNREGA job card, driving license, PAN card, Indian passport, pension documents with photo, service identity card with photo issued to employees by Central/State Government/PSU/Public Limited Companies, passbook with photo issued by bank/post office, smart card issued by RGI under National Population Register, Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the Scheme of Ministry of Labour, Official Identity Cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs and Unique Disability ID Card issued to Persons with Disabilities by Ministry of Social Justice, Government of India can be shown to vote on November 17. Non-resident Indian voters (NRI) need to show their original passport only for identification. If it is not possible to identify the voter in case by matching of the photograph etc. in the photo EPIC, then that voter will have to show any one of the above mentioned 12 alternative photo documents.