TRAINING SESSION FOR HOME POLL TEAM �& �MICRO OBSERVERS

GENERAL ELECTION 2026

(ON POSTAL BALLOTS BY ABSENTEE VOTERS)

POSTAL BALLOT by ABSENTEE VOTERS

1.Senior Citizens

2.Persons with Disabilities

(i) Senior Citizens (above 85 years of age)

(Absentee Voters Senior Citizen- AVSC)

(ii) Persons with disability flagged in the electoral roll

(Absentee Voters Persons with Disability - AVPD)

POSTAL BALLOT APPLICATION-FORM 12D

1. An Absentee Voter wishing to vote by postal ballot

has to make application to the Returning Officer (RO) of the constituency concerned, in Form-12D, giving all requisite particulars..

2. Such application seeking postal ballot facility should reach to the RO during the period from date of announcement of election to five days following the date of notification of the election concerned..

ABSENTEE VOTERS BELONGING TO PWD CATEGORY (AVPD)

In case of absentee voters belonging to PWD category (AVPD), who opt for postal ballot, application (Form 12D) should be accompanied by a copy of benchmark disability certificate specified by the concerned appropriate Government, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

PROCESS OF SUBMITTING FORM 12D

Distribution of 12D by BLO ( as per the details provided by RO)

STEP -1

If Elector Not Available

BLO will share his/her contact number and revisit to collect it within five days of the election notification

PROCESS OF SUBMITTNG FORM 12D

The elector may or may not opt for Postal Ballot. If he/she opts for Postal Ballot, then the BLO will collect the filled-in-Form 12D from the house of the elector within five days of the notification and deposit with the RO forthwith.

Deliver and obtain acknowledgement from them

STEP -2

VERIFICATION OF FORM 12D WITH ELECTORAL ROLL

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On the last date for making nominations for the election, the electoral roll is frozen for that election and no further addition or deletion can be carried out in the roll till the completion of the election.

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At this stage, RO shall verify and ensure that the applicants for postal ballots are registered as elector and their electoral particulars given in Form I2-D are correct with reference to the existing electoral roll. All the electors, whose particulars with reference to the electoral roll have been found to be correct, shall be issued postal ballot paper as Absentee Voters in the category of AVSC and AVPD.

AFTER VERIFICATION OF FORM 12D

RO will prepare a list

( in Annexure-9) of Absentee Voters, whose application are received in time and are in order

( 2 Categories separately)

STEP -3

AVSC

AVPD

MARKING OF PB IN THE MARKED COPY

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The RO will indicate entry 'PB' in the marked copy of the electoral roll against the names of such electors, to show that a postal ballot paper has been issued to them, without however recording there in the serial number of the ballot papers issued to them.

STEP - 4

PB

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Further, the RO shall share list of all such PwDs and 85+, electors, whose applications in Form 12D in Annexure 12 for availing Postal Ballot facility have been approved by him, with the Contesting Candidates of recognized political parties in printed hard copy

The RO shall also ensure that elector who has been issued postal ballot is not allowed to vote at a polling station.

STEP -5

LIST OF VOTERS

Special Polling Officer�Polling Assistant

Special POLLING TEAM

Each Team will be provided with a Vehicle, a Videographer and a Police Personnel and there will be a Micro Observer to observe all the Proceedings

INTIMATION TO THE ELECTOR

The electors will be intimated, in advance, about the date and approximate time of visit of poll officials. Such intimation will be given through SMS on the mobile phone number wherever the same has been mentioned in the application in Form-12D. In other cases, the intimation may be given by post and / or through the BLO.

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If the elector is not present at the given address at the first visit, the team shall pay a second visit after leaving intimation about the time of second visit. If the elector is not present even at the second visit, no further visit or action is required

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The candidates shall be informed about the schedule of visit for the delivery and collection of postal ballots for this category. They may, if desired, depute their authorized representatives (including BLAs), with prior intimation to the Returning Officer, to watch the process.

The list of AVSCs AVPDs

Will be divided for distribution among the different teams of Polling Officials in such manner that each team gets a list of persons in geographically compact area.

POLLING MATERIALS REQUIRED

• The list of AVSC and AVPD electors ( Annexure-12)
• Register of Absentee Voters ( Annexure-10)
• Adequate number of postal ballot papers
• Envelopes & Forms
• Voting Compartment
• Pens
• Ink-pad (for thumb impression wherever required)
• Glue stick for closing the envelopes,
• a sufficiently big canvas bag for keeping the envelopes of polled ballots and the counterfoils safely
• other essential stationeries that may be considered necessary.

Register of Absentee Voters ( Annexure-10)

RESPONSIBILITIES OF POLLING OFFICERS

1. Issue postal ballot to each of the Absentee Voters assigned
2. Brief the elector about the procedure to be followed for voting through postal ballot
3. make sure that the elector votes without anyone influencing his/her choice, and ensuring the secrecy of voting, all activities at the address of the elector concerned.
4. However, if any elector is not able to cast vote by himself due to blindness or physical infirmity, he/she shall be allowed to take the assistance of any adult person for casting vote.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF POLLING OFFICERS

5. Name of elector and the document produced for identification shall also be entered in a register

(Annexure-10) to be maintained for the purpose, and signature/thumb impression of the

elector obtained there in.

6. Further, a tick mark shall be placed against the name of the elector in the list of AVSC and AVPD to indicate that the person has voted.

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The counterfoil with the serial number and part number of elector duly filled up shall be got detached and kept in safe custody by the team.

REGISTER OF VOTERS

Documents accepted as proof of Identity �other than EPIC

• Those who are unable to vote without assistance may be allowed an assistant as per Rule 40.
• A declaration (Annexure 11) must be obtained from the assistant
• The list should be maintained in Form 14 A.

RETURNING OF POSTAL BALLOT PAPER AFTER VOTING

5. Placing the Declaration - Form 13A, duly filled up, signed and attested along with small closed envelope (Form 13B) containing the marked ballot paper inside the larger envelope (Form 13C),
6. Closing the larger envelope and handing over the same to the poll officer.

Poll officer is authorized to attest the declaration in Form 13A in the case of AVSC and AVPD.

While attesting the declaration, the polling officer shall write his full name and also the designation 'poll officer'.

In the case of a COVID affected person on treatment in Hospital, the Medical Officer attending to the person also authorized to attest the declaration.

FORM 13A(Declaration), Envelopes Form 13B & 13C

Name & Number of LAC

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Serial No. of PB

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Signature of Elector

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0666234

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Signature of Special Polling Officer

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AAravindan K P

Poll Officer & HSST

GHSS Kolllam

15.04.24

033 Kondotty LAC

0666234

033 Kondotty

Address Seal of Returning Officer

Signature of Elector

• Police Security cover will be provided to the poll officers for their visits.
• Videography of the proceedings at the premises of AVSC/ AVPD should also be made.
• For this purpose, a videographer should accompany the poll officers.
• It shall be ensured that the secrecy of vote is not violated while carrying out the videography exercise.

SECURITY & VIDEO COVERAGE

COMPLETION OF ABSENTEE VOTING

Visits by teams of poll officers to the address of AVSC and AVPD electors should be planned as per the direction of RO/ARO

RETURN OF POLLED MATERIALS

At the end of each day of visit by poll officers to the address of AVSC/AVPD electors, the envelopes in Form-13C containing postal ballot paper etc. and the counterfoils of ballot papers containing the signature/thumb impression of electors and other particulars, shall be collected by the ARO designated of postal voting by the absentee voters.

The ARO shall make arrangements to have the same delivered at the headquarters of the RO for keeping them in safe custody. The ARO shall maintain the record indicating the number of ballots sent on each day. This should also be shared with the RO on a daily basis.

Contesting candidates will be duly informed about the Election Commission's above guidelines.

1. Micro Observers have a very crucial role to play in ‘the conduct of an independent, free and fair elections.
2. Micro Observer is only an observer and is not a member of polling party.
3. He should observe all process mentioned above in the voting of absentee voters
4. Prepare a report on the activity on daily basis.

MICRO-OBSERVER

SEQUENTIAL PICTURES OF ABSENTEE VOTING PROCESS

VISIT OF BLO FOR COLLECTING FORM 12D

ARRIVAL OF POLLING PARTY WITH POSTAL BALLOT

POLLING PARTY COLLECTING ID CARD OF THE AVPD

VERIFYING DOCUMENTS & BRIEFING ABOUT THE PROCEDURE

ATTESTING DECLARATION IN FORM 13A & OBTAINING SIGNATURE/TI

HANDING OVER BALLOT PAPER & PUTTING VOTING CAMPARTMENT

VOTING & RETURNIG ID CARD

POLLING PARTY LEAVING

Thank you