Srinagar – The process of postal ballot and home voting began on Wednesday in Budgam Assembly constituency, where bypolls are scheduled to be held on November 11.

The bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who won from both Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies in last year's Assembly elections, decided to retain his family stronghold of Ganderbal and vacated the Budgam seat.

According to officials, the postal ballot voting for 27-AC Budgam commenced at the Block Development Office (BDO) Budgam. The process aims to facilitate employees in essential services who may not be able to reach polling stations on the day of voting.

Budgam District Election Officer (DEO) Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat said that all arrangements have been made to ensure a free, fair and smooth voting experience.“The postal voting ballot facility at the BDO office in Budgam is well-organised, providing a streamlined process for employees to cast their votes and strengthen democracy,” he said.

He added that as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the district administration has worked diligently to assist voters in casting their votes via postal ballots while maintaining the integrity of the system. The postal ballot process will continue for three consecutive days, starting from November 5.

Meanwhile, the home voting process also commenced across the constituency on Wednesday. The ECI has introduced the facility to enable senior citizens aged 85 and above, and persons with disabilities (PwDs) with 40 per cent or more benchmark disability, to vote from the comfort of their homes.

Dedicated polling teams comprising presiding officers, polling officials and security personnel visited the homes of eligible voters to facilitate the process as per ECI guidelines.

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