EC Directs At Least One Polling Station To Be Managed By Women In Each Constituency. This Is Great!

Today, the women in India are steadily becoming more literate and can make their own decision. This means women are also becoming politically aware, and the government has been trying to make voting easier for women by improving the safety of polling booths. Recently, the Election Commission directed that at least one polling station in each assembly constituency will be managed exclusively by women in the five states for which elections were announced on Saturday.

The Election Commission made this decision to promote gender equality and greater constructive participation of women in the electoral process. It has directed that, to the extent possible, a minimum of one polling station managed exclusively by women will be set up in every assembly constituency in states including Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. In these polling stations, all election staff including police and security personnel will be women. This will ensure the safety of women voters as well as the women working in these polling booths. 

The commission also said before retrieving the result from control units, seals will be verified, and unique serial numbers of these will be tallied before counting agents deputed by candidates, referring to arrangements on counting days that is March 10. It further added that EVMs and paper trail machines will be stored back in strong rooms in the presence of candidates or their representatives, till the completion of the election petition period of 45 days. During this period, petitions challenging the results can be filed in respective high courts.

The Election Commission (EC) also mentioned that senior citizens above the age of 80 and people infected with the Covid-19 virus will be given the option of voting from their homes. This practice started during the Bihar Assembly polls. According to the reports, the polling personnel will have to go to the house of those taking this option and will have to provide them with ballot papers to cast their vote. Strict secrecy will be ensured through videography of these voters as well as contesting candidates and their agents will be informed, said EC.

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As women are getting more politically involved, the Indian candidates are changing their election campaigns accordingly. And it’s good to see that the polling panel is taking a step towards the security of female voters, thereby encouraging more female voters. No excuses now!

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