Bhopal: The Election Commission of India has now provided the facility to authorised journalists engaged in the coverage of polling day to cast their votes through postal ballot. The Commission has provided this facility by issuing a notification recently by placing the work of journalists in the essential service category. This facility will be available only to those journalists who have been issued authorisation letter by the Election Commission of India for coverage of election work. Journalists engaged in the coverage of election work will have to apply for voting through postal ballot by attaching their authorisation letter. After following the prescribed procedure and attaching the authorisation letter, the concerned election officer will issue postal ballot to the authorised journalist so that he may cast vote.
It is noteworthy that the Election Commission of India has notified the journalists holding the authorisation letter issued by the Election Commission of India engaged in the coverage of the polling day in the essential service category along with the staff of Public Health, Home (Fire Services), Energy Department. Its intention is that no one should be deprived of voting because of being engaged in service. As per the intention of the Commission, persons of notified services will be able to vote through postal ballot.