Want to avoid long queues at polling booths? You may soon be able to book a slot to cast your vote

NEW DELHI: People may be able to book their slot to cast votes at a polling station to avoid long queues, if a an idea in this regard by the Election Commission materializes.

The Commission is mulling the idea of allowing people to "book the timing" of their convenience at the polling station.

"This way, voters will be staggered and they can avoid queues...we may provide this facility between say 8 am to 3 pm," Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said here.

Sinha, who is also incharge of EC's Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation programme, said it is one of the proposals the Commission is working on to encourage greater voter participation.

Just before the last Lok Sabha elections, EC had extended the voting time by two hours keeping in mind the pattern that most voters come out in the evening to exercise their franchise. Now, voting time is between 7 am and 6 pm in areas not affected by Naxalism or similar situations.

Sinha, who was interacting with representatives of media houses on voters' education, said the Commission is also thinking of introducing mobile slips (m slips) and electronic slips (e slips) to voters to compliment printed photo voter slips.

The printed photo voter slips are given to registered voters by the booth-level officer ahead of the day of polling. There have been complaints that people often do not get the slips, mostly due to the delay on part of the election machinery.

PTI