Thiruvananthapuram: Early polling or advance voting is resorted for the convenience of some voters to overcome some exigencies. The pre-poll voting, days ahead of the scheduled polling days of the three-phase local body elections in Kerala, has commenced from Wednesday.

Covid patients and those in quarantine are eligible to vote as long as their names appear in the special voters list drawn up by the State Election Commission to allow such people to exercise their franchise.    

In a first in Kerala's electoral history, officials have started registering the votes by visiting residences and hospitals from Wednesday even as the first phase of polling for general voters in five districts is on December 8. It will be followed by voting on December 10 and 14 in another five and four districts respectively.

Advance notification to special voters

Those who are COVID positive and those who are in quarantine are the “special voters”. From Wednesday, a team of 1,500 polling officials will distribute postal ballots to them by taking all safety measures, including wearing a PPE kit. 

The vote should be registered as soon as the ballot paper is received and it should be handed over to the polling team. Else, it can be sent to the returning officer by post or someone else in person. 

The State Election Commission (SEC) has directed voters who are COVID positive or in quarantine have to be notified in advance through SMS or by phone at the time of distribution of the special postal ballots. The candidates concerned should also be informed. 

Special voters list

Till November 30, about 30,000 people were shortlisted for the first list of “special voters” in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki, the districts that will go to polls in the first phase. 

The list of “special voters” has been prepared on the basis of the certified list provided by the district medical officers. The list will be updated till 3 pm on December 7, the eve of the first round of elections.  

Those on the list can only cast postal votes even if they become free of COVID or if their quarantine period ends before the polling begins. They will not be able to go directly to vote as the list held by officers at the polling booths will mention that they would be casting their ballots through the post. 

The list of those who are in quarantine or under treatment for COVID in other districts will also be handed over to the collectors by the health department in the coming days. 

If any COVID-positive patient or those in quarantine have not been included in the certified list, they can download the special application form from the State Election Commission website and apply for the special postal ballot. 

The postal ballots will be distributed by a team led by a special polling officer. 

Ballots for officers on polling duty 

Meanwhile, the distribution of postal ballots for officers on election duty will also begin on Wednesday. For the postal ballot, officials have to apply to the returning officer concerned on Form 15. The returning officers will send them the required postal ballot papers. 

5,000 people added in one day 

Over 5,000 people were added in a day to the special voters list for the first phase of the local body elections. As of November 29, the list had 24,621 names. On November 30, 5,351 more people were added to the list, taking the total to 29,972. 

1,722 problem booths 

A total of 1,722 problem booths have been identified in the five districts going to polls in the first phase of the local body elections. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki districts will go to polls on December 8. 

The number of problem booths in the police districts are: Thiruvananthapuram City: 264, Thiruvananthapuram Rural: 253, Kollam: 249, Kollam Rural: 216, Pathanamthitta: 194, Alappuzha: 349, Idukki: 197.