In all 331 personnel of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) exercised their franchise for the 16th Lok Sabha through postal ballot on Friday.
The facility for postal ballot was provided as the 331 personnel were to be deployed for election duties in Kerala (they left later in the day). They will return only after the completion of the polls there, by which time the elections in Karnataka would be over.
“To provide them the opportunity to vote, the Election Commission had set up the postal ballot facilities. The ballot papers will be kept in the Treasury and guarded till the day of the results. The ballot boxes will be counted first, before the electronic voting machines are opened,” said Devaraj, presiding officer at the Facilitation Centre at the KSRP Commandant Office.
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Agents of political parties or their candidates were also present, and the process was similar to what takes place in any election, except this procedure entailed the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs.
Voting through postal ballot will also be conducted for all micro-observers on April 8; and for police personnel, on April 9 (in which over 1,000 personnel are expected to exercise their franchise). On 10th, the facility will be provided for personnel of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and for all polling officers and those on election duties, on April 11.