Punjab elections 2017: E-ballot system for defence voters this time

Defence personnel will be able to caste their votes by using electronic postal ballot facility at four assembly constituencies for the first time in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections.

To facilitate service voters, Election Commission of India has introduced Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to help the service voters cast their votes in the upcoming Punjab Vidhan Sabha Elections, the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab V K Singh said.

The Returning officers of four assembly constituencies-Atam Nagar, Ludhiana (East), Ludhiana North and Jalandhar West (Reserved) was imparted training in Chandigarh on Sunday.

Giving further details, Singh said that this technological intervention would enable the facility for service voters to cast their vote using an electronically received postal ballot from anywhere outside their constituency.

The army personnel and their wives could cast their votes for the first time in the ensuing Assembly elections in the state, he said.

The officer also said that Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) is totally secured with five layer security system, developed by Election Commission of India with the help of C-DAC, for the use of service voters.

Service voter eligible for Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot can cast their vote through this system, he said.

The ROs of the four identified constituencies were given extensive training regarding this system by the team of ECI, headed by V K Shukla Director IT, he said adding the vote ballot would electronically reach the service voter and would return through the postal system.