Kashmiri migrants can vote in 2018 civic polls: J-K election office

The election office of Jammu and Kashmir Monday said Kashmiri migrants can vote in the upcoming municipal polls as their names continue to be enrolled in electoral list of assembly constituencies of the Valley.

"With the amendments in J&K Representation of People Act-1957 and J&K Conduct of Election Rules-1965, the names of Kashmiri migrants continue to be enrolled in the electoral rolls of assembly constituencies of Kashmir Valley.

"As the Municipal electoral rolls are relatable to the legislative assembly electoral rolls, their names exist in the electoral Rolls of the municipal bodies in the Kashmir valley," a spokesman for the election office said.

He said in order to provide Kashmiri migrants facility to exercise their franchise in the municipal elections-2018, they have been notified as a class of persons who shall cast their votes through postal ballots.

The notification to this effect has been issued on 16 September, 2018, he said.

"Consequent upon this notification, a detailed scheme for voting by Kashmiri migrants by means of postal ballots in the municipal elections, 2018 stands notified," he added.

The spokesman said the scheme makes available electoral rolls to the Kashmir migrants at 16 places including six transit camps in Kashmir so that they can file an application to opt for voting by way of postal ballot.

He said the chief electoral officer has prescribed the last date for making such application as the last date for making nominations for a particular municipal body.

All such applicants shall be issued postal ballots by the returning officers of their municipal bodies in Kashmir valley, he said, adding that the Scheme also provides information about the process for recording the vote and return of the postal ballot.