Kolkata: Due to the ‘vote from home’ facility of the Election Commission (EC), a total of 2,981 electors in Bengal would have already cast their votes when four Parliamentary constituencies (PCs) — Malda North, Malda South, Jangipur and Murshidabad — go for polls in the third phase of elections on May 7.
Voters above 85 years of age and Persons with Disability (PWD) possessing disability certificates are eligible for home voting on applying through the poll panel’s website. Reports from the office of the state CEO (Chief Electoral Officer) indicate that Murshidabad registered the highest number of home voting with 1,164 electors availing it. Second in this list is Malda North with 788 voters followed by Malda South where 714 electors availed it. The lowest home voting was at Jangipur with 317 voters. A total of 2108 senior citizens and 873 PWD electors benefited from this facility.
In the second phase of elections (Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat) on April 26, 4,426 electors availed it. About 9,514 voters in Bengal opted for home voting during the first phase of polls on April 19. During the Assembly polls in 2021, when voting was held following Covid protocols, the Commission had made arrangements for home voting for electors above 80 years of age and PWD.