"We had recommended electronic postal ballot facility for service voters and it has been accepted by Ministry of Law and Justice and this facility will now be provided to them.
"Now our service voters posted at border areas can use this facility for the first time on pilot basis which is a historic opportunity for ECI to promote inclusive participation," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said while addressing media here today.
"We have the technology and operational procedure (for it) and we are working with the ministry of defence on it. We are asking them how many are service voters at borders and we will successfully implement the same and a lot of service voters will be included," he said.
"We will look at whether this number is sufficient or large number of people have not been covered under the same," he said, adding, "We are making this beginning from state of Punjab for first time."
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He noted that most of service voters could not go to their polling stations as they are posted outside.
In another step to ensure maximum participation of voters during upcoming Punjab assembly polls, the Election Commission has also decided to set up polling stations at old age homes and blind schools, besides making election process "disabled friendly".
Zaidi, who was flanked by two election commissioners Achal Kumar Joti and Om Prakash Rawat, further said "mapping for disabled people will be done polling station wise to know how many are disabled at which polling station so that authorities can make arrangements for their facilitation like providing wheel chair," he said.
He further said at all polling stations, necessary arrangements have been made like ramp for disabled, drinking facilities, toilets, power and waiting room.
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He further said, "to ensure voters are informed of the rejection of their application or deletion of their names, the Election Commission has directed all officials that every individual voter will be intimated by an individual notice that his or her application has been rejected or name deleted so that they do not turn up on the day of polling saying that their names have been wrongly deleted because there would still be time they can come forward and get their names processed."
Further, the list of all deleted electors and rejected cases will be given to all the political parties and shall also be available on the website of the CEO and the DEO concerned for absolute transparency, the CEC said.
The CEC further informed that people can submit their applications for vote registration even after the summary revision of electoral rolls.
"In order to encourage voters, the Commission has issued directions that who could not apply (after summary revision) can now do so and their applications will be processed," he said.
During summary revision process which began on September 7 for a period of one month, the state has received over 6 lakh applications for new names to be added, he informed.
Interestingly, out of these, over 2 lakh names are of young voters, although there is still a gap.
About 1.85 lakh applications have been received for deletion of names from electoral rolls, which includes voters who have shifted or who are dead, he said.
CEC noted that there was a big gap between number of voters of 18 to 19 years of age who should be on roll and who are actually on roll.
CEC expected that the Punjab being a prosperous state should witness minimum of 80 per cent voting.
"The state registered something around 75 per cent voting (last polls). We feel that Punjab being a prosperous state, the voting percentage should be much high and therefore we have asked district officials to launch special field campaign, systematic voting education programme to secure minimum 80 per cent or beyond of voting," he said.
Zaidi informed that over 600 "campus ambassadors" have been functioning in collges, schools to encourage young voters to participate in election process.
"The state (Punjab) is going to utilize for first time VVPAT machine and it will be used along EVM. With this, voters can see to whom they caste their vote. It will be used for first time," said CEC.
The Commission has directed that adequate awareness about the VVPATs shall be created by the district election machinery to acquaint the electors about the features and usefulness of the VVPATs.
"They want the Commission to take all possible steps to ensure that electors are able to cast their votes without any threat, intimidation or any external inducement," said CEC.
A delegation of various parties including Congress and AAP had met a team of Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi here two days back.
A nine-member Election Commission had arrived here on Sunday on a three-day visit to undertake group level review of preparations ahead of state assembly polls which are due early next year.