Polling stations to be set outside Kashmir Valley for migrant voters

The Election Commission Sunday announced it would set up 21 polling stations in the Jammu district for migrant voters for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

"Besides this, four special polling stations would be set up in New Delhi and one in Udhampur district to facilitate the Kashmiri migrant voters living there to cast their vote," said a commission statement issued here.

It said that as per assistant returning officer (migrants) Jammu, Kashmiri migrants who wish to cast their vote shall have to fill form M and give choice of polling station at which they wish to cast their vote.

"The Kashmiri migrant voters can get the form from Nov 2 to Nov 9 from election commission offices in Jammu city," it said, adding a team of booth level officers (BLOs) along with zonal officer/camp commandants and other staff will be present at all these places 9 a.m.-5 p.m. to assist the voters in filling, verifying, and attesting the form.

It said that the form would be provided at these locations on the scheduled dates only to the voters of those constituencies which are going to polls in first and second phase i.e, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Langate, Bandipura, Sonwari, Kangan, Ganderbal, Noorabad, Kulgan, Homeshallibugh, and Devsar.

"Only registered migrant voters are eligible to fill the form M and vote at special polling booths," said the statement.

It said those migrant voters who wish to cast their vote through postal ballot may apply in Form 12-C and submit it in the office of ARO (migrants) Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi so that the postal ballots are dispatched to their home addresses.

"As also the inclusions/corrections shall be made upto last date of nomination for a constituency concerned and therefore migrants can fill forms 6,7,8 and 8-A, if their name is missing from the electoral rolls," the statement said.