The Election Commission of India has issued a notification specifying that COVID-19 suspect or affected individuals, certified by a competent authority, who apply for voting by postal ballot, will be eligible to vote via postal ballot in the upcoming General Elections to the House of the People and Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha & Sikkim, 2024 and bye-elections to 26 Assembly Constituencies in 13 States.
Key Changes
COVID-19 suspect or affected individuals who apply for postal ballots, and whose requests are verified by the Returning Officer, are now a specified category of voters eligible for postal voting.
This provision applies to the General Elections of 2024 for the House of the People and Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim.
It also applies to bye-elections in 26 Assembly Constituencies across 13 states.
The notification references the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, as amended by a notification dated June 19, 2020, issued by the Ministry of Law & Justice, Govt. of India.
The notification is issued in pursuance of Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The elections are scheduled to be notified on 20.03.2024, 28.03.2024, 12.04.2024, 18.04.2024, 26.04.2024, 29.04.2024 and 07.05.2024 under Section 30 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The 13 states where bye-elections will be held are: Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The specific constituencies are listed in the annexure.
Impact Analysis
Stakeholders Impacted
General Public: Ensures broader participation in the electoral process, especially during pandemic-like situations.
Suggested Action Items
Political parties should educate their workers on the new guidelines.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission of India: The body responsible for conducting elections in India.
Representation of the People Act, 1951: An act of the Parliament of India that provides for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and to the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the prevention of corrupt practices, and other related matters.
Section 60 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951: Deals with special provisions for voting by certain classes of persons, including the ability to specify categories of individuals who can vote by postal ballot.
Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961: Rules framed by the Election Commission of India to regulate the procedure for the conduct of elections.
Ministry of Law & Justice, Govt. of India, Notification SO No. 1964(E), dated 19th June, 2020: The specific notification amending the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which is relevant to the current notification.
Returning Officer: An officer responsible for the conduct of elections in a particular constituency.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
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असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (iii)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (iii)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 51] िई दिल्ली, मगं लर्ार, माच ा19, 2024/फाल्ग िु 29, 1945
No. 51] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2024/PHALGUNA 29, 1945
भारत जिर्ाचा ि आयोग
अजधसचू िा
िई दिल्ली, 16 माच,ा 2024
आ.अ. 57(अ).—लोक प्रजतजिजधत्र् अजधजियम, 1951 की धारा 60 के खंड(ग) के उपबधं ों के अिुसरण म ें
जिर्ााचि आयोग एतद्द्वारा जर्जिर्िाष् ट करता ह ै दक सक्षम प्राजधकारी द्वारा प्रमाजणत कोजर्ड-19 संदिग् ध या प्रभाजर्त ऐस े
व् यजि, िो डाक मतपत्र द्वारा मतिाि करि े के जलए आर्ेिि करते ह ैं और िो संबंजधत ररटर्ििंग अजधकारी द्वारा उसके
अिुरोध के सत् यापि की िता के अधीि ह,ैं जिर्ााचिों का संचालि जियम, 1961 के भाग-।।।क, जर्जध एर्ं न् याय मंत्रालय,
भारत सरकार की अजधसूचिा का.आ.स.ं 1964 (अ.) दििाकं 19 िूि, 2020 के िररए यथासंिोजधत, इस जर्षय पर
जिर्ााचि आयोग द्वारा जिगात जििेिों एर्ं दििाजििेिों के साथ परित, लोक प्रजतजिजधत्र् अजधजियम, 1951 की धारा 30
के अंतगात दििांक 20.03.2024, 28.03.2024, 12.04.2024, 18.04.2024, 26.04.2024, 29.04.2024 और
07.05.2024 को अजधसूजचत होिे र्ाल े र्तामाि लोक सभा तथा आन्र प्रिेि,अरुणाचल प्रििे , ओजडिा और जसजक म की
जर्धाि सभाओं के साधारण जिर्ााचिों, 2024 तथा 13 राज्यों म ें 26 जर्धाि सभा जिर्ााचि क्षेत्रों (अिुलग्नक के अिुसार) के
उप जिर्ााचिों के जलए डाक मतपत्र द्वारा मतिाि करिे के जलए व् यजियों की एक श्रणे ी होंगे।
[सं. 52/2024/एसडीआर/खंड-II]
आिेि स,े
एस. बी. िोिी, प्रधाि सजचर्
2118 GI/2024 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(iii)]
अिलु ग्नक
क्रम स.ं राज्य जर्धाि सभा जिर्ाचा ि क्षत्रे की सख्ं या एर् ंिाम
1. जबहार 195-अजगआर्ं (अ.िा.)
2. गिु रात 26-जर्िापरु
3. 108-खभं ात
4. 136-र्ाघोजडया
5. 85-माणार्िर
6. 83-पोरबिं र
7. हररयाणा 21-करिाल
8. झारखण्ड 31-गाण्डे
9. महाराष्ट्र 30-अकोला पजिम
10. जत्रपरु ा 7-रामिगर
11. उत्तर प्रिेि 136-ििरौल
12. 173-लखिऊ पर्ू ा
13. 292-गसैं डी
14. 403-िद्घु ी (अ.ि.िा.)
15. पजिम बगं ाल 62-भगर्ि गोला
16. 113-बडािगर
17. तले गं ािा 71-जसकंिराबाि कैंट (अ.िा.)
18. जहमाचल प्रिेि 18-धमिा ाला
19. 21-लाहौल और स्ट्पीजत (अ.ि.िा.)
20. 37-सिु ािपरु
21. 39-बडसर
22. 42-गगरेट
23. 45-कुटलहै ड
24. रािस्ट्थाि 165-बागीिोरा (अ.ि.िा.)
25. किाटा क 36-िोरापरु (अ.ि.िा.)
26. तजमलिाडु 233-जर्लार्ािकोडे
ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 16th March, 2024
O.N. 57(E).—In pursuance of the provisions of clause (c) of Section 60 of the Representation of the People
Act, 1951, the Election Commission hereby specifies that the Covid-19 suspect or affected person, certified by
competent authority, who applies for voting by postal ballot paper, and subject to verification of his request by the
Returning Officer concerned, would be a class of persons to give his vote by postal ballot in the current General
Elections to the House of the People and Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha &
Sikkim, 2024 and bye-elections to 26 Assembly Constituencies in 13 States (as per Annexure) scheduled to be
notified on 20.03.2024, 28.03.2024, 12.04.2024, 18.04.2024, 26.04.2024, 29.04.2024 and 07.05.2024 under Section
30 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as per the provisions in Part-IIIA of the Conduct of Elections Rules,[भाग II—खण् ड 3(iii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 3
1961, as amended vide Ministry of Law & Justice, Govt. of India, Notification SO No. 1964(E), dated 19th June, 2020
read with the directions and guidelines issued by the Election Commission on the subject.
[No. 52/2024/SDR/Vol.II]
By Order,
S. B. JOSHI, Principal Secy.
Annexure
S. No. Name of State Assembly Constituency No. & Name
1. Bihar 195-Agiaon(SC)
2. 26 - Vijapur
3. 108 - Khambhat
4. Gujarat 136 - Vaghodia
5. 85 - Manavadar
6. 83 - Porbandar
7. Haryana 21-Karnal
8. Jharkhand 31- Gandey
9. Maharashtra 30 – Akola West
10. Tripura 7- Ramnagar
11. 136 - Dadraul
12. 173 - Lucknow East
Uttar Pradesh
13. 292 - Gainsari
14. 403 – Duddhi (ST)
15. West Bengal 62-Bhagawangola
16. 113- Baranagar
17. Telangana 71-Secunderabad Cantt.(SC)
18. 18 - Dharamshala
19. 21 – Lahaul&Spiti (ST)
20. 37 - Sujanpur
21. 39 - Barsar
Himachal Pradesh
22. 42 - Gagret
23. 45 - Kutlehar
24. Rajasthan 165 – Bagidora (ST)
25. Karnataka 36 – Shorapur (ST)
26. Tamil Nadu 233 - Vilavancode
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and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.