Postal Ballot System

✅Through this facility, a voter can cast her vote remotely by recording her preference on the ballot paper and sending it back to the election officer before counting. 

✅ Currently, only the following are allowed to vote through postal ballot system: 

🔸 Members of the armed forces like the Army, Navy and Air Force, members of the armed police force of a state (serving outside the state),  

🔸 Government employees posted outside India and their spouses  

🔸 Voters under preventive detention  

🔸 Special voters such as the President of India, Vice President, Governors, Union Cabinet ministers, Speaker of the House and government officers on poll duty have the option to vote by post. But they have to apply through a prescribed form to avail this facility. 

🔸 Recently, keeping in mind the safety of senior citizens amid rising cases of the coronavirus, the Law Ministry has allowed those aged 65 years and above to opt for postal ballot in Lok Sabha and assembly elections. It also allowed “COVID 19 suspect or affected persons” to use the postal ballot facility. 

🔸 Earlier, the Law Ministry also introduced a new category of ‘absentee voters’, who can opt for postal voting. These are voters employed in essential services and unable to cast their vote due to their service conditions. Currently, officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Northern Railway  

(Passenger and Freight) Services and media persons are notified as absentee voters. 

🔸 Also in October 2019, the Law Ministry amended the Conduct of Election Rules to allow people with disabilities and those who are 80 years of age or above to opt for postal ballot during Lok Sabha  

and assembly elections.

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