Election staff use postal ballot on final day ahead of Vijayawada civic polls

Election staff in Vijayawada cast their votes by postal ballot on Friday, Oct 30, the final day for postal voting ahead of the Nov 1 civic elections. The voting took place at the postal ballot centre set up in P.B. Siddhartha Arts and Science College, Mogalrajpuram. Election Observer S. Nagalakshmi inspected the centre on Thursday, Oct 29, and checked the arrangements made for election personnel. She confirmed that the facility will be open on Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to let staff who are also registered voters exercise their voting rights. Nagalakshmi urged all eligible election personnel who have not yet voted to use the centre before the deadline. The staff members are assigned election duties on polling day, so the postal ballot helps them avoid missing their own vote. Since Oct 30 is the last date for postal voting, the centre expects a surge of staff voters in the afternoon. The smooth operation of the centre is seen as important for a fair civic poll on Nov 1.

Context

Postal ballots let election workers vote without leaving their duty stations. This practice is common in Indian civic elections to ensure officials can fulfil both voting and polling responsibilities.