Voters aged above 80 will for the first time get the chance to vote at home. Between April 10 and 14, a polling team will visit those who have applied for the facility to get them to cast their vote on postal ballot. The same privilege will be accorded to those who have submitted the relevant form with a medical certificate, proving them to have more than 40 per cent disability.

“A team will visit the voter at home. It will have two polling personnel, a videographer, a police official and a member of the Central Armed Police Force. Since the list will be made available to the candidates, they have the right to send their agents as well,” said Arnab Saha, the officer-in-charge of election for the Bidhannagar constituency and the returning officer for the Rajarhat Gopalpur constituency.

In Covid situation, if a voter does not want so many people to enter the room, the polling may happen in the verandah or courtyard of the house. “The voter will put a tick mark against the candidate of his choice on the postal ballot, fold it and put it in the ballot box. The whole process, except the choice of the candidate will be videographed to maintain transparency, as postal ballots are a sensitive matter,” he said.

The Bidhannagar constituency has about 9,000 candidates eligible for this facility, including 354 persons with disabilities. Of them, a total of 1,128 voters, including 13 with disabilities, have opted to cast their votes at home.

In Rajarhat New Town, the figure voting at home is 569. “Of voters who are eligible for this new facility, most are preferring to come to the polling stations. We did a super-checking of a 10 per cent sample to cross-check whether the booth level officials had indeed approached them with the offer. They said they take this as an occasion to meet neighbours and socialise. Barely 10 to 12 per cent took up the offer,” he said.