Date:01/05/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/01/stories/2009050152380300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Vellore

Visually impaired can vote through Braille Signage system: Collector

Special Correspondent

Training programme organised for officers at Voorhees College

VELLORE: The visually impaired will be allowed to vote through Braille Signage system, newly introduced by the Election Commission for the elections to the 15th Lok Sabha on May 13, Collector and District Electoral Officer of Vellore District C. Rajendran has said.

The visually impaired should be given a separate ballot paper exclusively prepared for them, and later asked to vote through electronic voting machine (EVM), he told officials at a training programme organised for them at Voorhees College here on Thursday.

Mr. Rajendran has instructed all presiding officers and polling officers to visit the respective polling booths at 12 p.m. on May 12, a day before the election, obtain materials from the zonal officers and ascertain the availability of all facilities for the polling exercise. Elections being a vital component of democracy, the polling officials should consider election duty sacred and discharge their functions, he said.

The polling officers should ensure that there was no political party office located or no canvassing done within 200 metres of the polling booths. On the day of polling, all officials should be present in the respective booths in a state of preparedness at 5.30 a.m. They should keep the EVMs ready for polling and demonstrate proper working of the EVM to the agents of various candidates at 6.30 a.m., half-an-hour before the commencement of polling. Voters should be allowed to exercise their franchise from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., on production of their Electors’ Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) or any of the 13 documents prescribed by the Election Commission.

Mr. Rajendran said that none should be allowed to photograph a voter exercising his or her franchise. The polling officials should record the events in the polling booth in their diary. They should record details of the voters who exercised the franchise. These details should tally with the details obtained from the EVM.