Are Govt Officials On Election Duty Banned From Voting In Lok Sabha Polls 2024?

Are government officials who take part in the election works banned from voting? A claim on social media has been doing rounds on WhatsApp.

The viral post written in Hindi doing rounds on WhatsApp claimed that the Election Commission has done away with the postal ballot system in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

However, the Election Commission has given a clarification on the issue, calling it a "false claim."

"False Claim: A message is being circulated on Whats App that Govt employees cannot cast their vote through postal ballot. Reality: Message is misleading & fake. Eligible Officials on election duty can cast their vote through postal ballot at designated Voter Facilitation Centre," a message posted by the EC on its official X account read.

What is postal voting?

Postal voting, also known as absentee voting, is a voting method that enables electors to submit their ballots via mail rather than in person at a polling station.

Individuals enlisted in the electoral roll, who are scheduled for duty on polling day and thus unable to vote at their designated polling stations due to official obligations, are facilitated by the Election Commission through facilitation centres to cast their votes via postal ballot.

In addition to voters on election duty, the electoral authority extends postal voting privileges to special voters, service voters, and electors under preventive detention.