The Election Commission has released a schedule for the Home Voting (Postal Voting) process. As part of this schedule, a category-wise list of senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and COVID-infected voters will be prepared today on October 17, 2023. The election commission has facilitated Home Voting using Form 12D (Postal Ballot) for eligible voters over the age of 80 years and for those who are more than 40% Physically Challenged. The Postal Ballot facility has also been made available to approved Media personnel as well as government employees under certain categories. 

Training will be provided to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on October 17 and 18 regarding the distribution of Form 12-D. On October 18, a meeting with political parties will be held to brief them about the process. The distribution of Form 12-D will take place from October 20 to November 4. Between October 30 and November 4, BLOs will collect the Form 12-D filled out by voters within 5 days of notification. During this period, Returning Officers will daily review the received Form 12-D to compile a list of valid forms among eligible voters and provide it to the Election Commission. 

Between October 25 and 27, the initial training sessions will be held for polling teams, micro-observers, videography personnel, and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) regarding the ABP (Advance Ballot Paper) voting process. From November 5 to 7, route charts and schedules will be devised for eligible voters to facilitate the collection of votes. By November 9, these route charts and schedules for polling teams will be shared with political parties, candidates, and the media. BLOs will also notify eligible voters about the voting date and time. 

Candidates will receive a list of identified voters. The second round of training will occur from November 11 to 13. From November 14 to 19, polling teams, following the designated schedule, will make their initial home visits to collect votes while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality and respecting the privacy of voters. Videography and photography will be employed for this purpose. The collected votes will be submitted daily to the Returning Officer's office. The second visit by polling teams is scheduled for November 20 and 21. 

The home voting turnout is 1085 in Udaipur and 1971 in Udaipur rural. Currently, there are no voters identified with COVID in Udaipur. 

The Process 

• Individuals voters must complete Form 12D within five days of the notification's issuance (31 October - 4 November 2023) and submit it.
• Booth Level Officers will distribute Form 12D to eligible voters within their respective areas, collect the completed applications, and then forward them to the Returning Officer.
• Following application verification, postal ballots will be issued.
• These voters' names will be annotated with "PB" (Postal Ballot) on the voter list.
• Subsequently, a route chart will be prepared, and polling teams will reach the locations for home voting. Information regarding these identified home voting participants will be public to all political parties and through the media.
• Candidates fighting the elections will also appoint their representatives at the booth level for home voting, allowing them to be present during the home voting process. 

Eligibility for Home Voting

• Eligible Voters above 80 years of age.
• Eligible Voters with more than 40% Physical Disability.

Voting from Home is Entirely Optional

If a voter prefers, they can vote directly at the polling booth without the need for Form 12D. Once the application is submitted, postal ballots are provided, and the voter's name on the voter list is marked with "PB." Subsequently, eligible senior citizens and differently-abled voters designated for postal voting will be notified by the election team. The notification will specify the date and time when election officials will visit their homes to assist with the voting process. If the concerned voter is not available at home during the initial visit, the same process will be repeated at a later time, but not more than twice.