Lok Sabha polls: From barracks to ballot box, service voters on the climb

The number of electors from the armed forces and other similar services has been increasing.

These voters are often unable to cast their ballot in the regular fashion because they are away from their primary place of residence due to being posted elsewhere. They have been given the option of voting by proxy or a postal ballot if they chose not to enroll as a general voter in the place of their posting if the duration is of sufficient time to do so. Turnout and enrolment figures have grown in the last ten years.

The 2019 figure had grown over 30 per cent over 2014. Turnout among service voters had risen from 4 per cent in 2014 to over 60 per cent in 2019. Turnout represents the share of those who have actually turned up to vote. Available data from key states for the first two phases suggests the number of registered electors is around 600,000 so far, or a third of the total number seen in the whole of 2019 (chart 1).
 

An individual who is a member of the armed forces of the union, armed police force of a state, or is employed under the government of India is a service voter, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI). Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) was introduced by the ECI in the previous general elections to reduce time and errors. This led to an increase in the voter turnout from 4 per cent in 2014 to 60.14 per cent in 2019, as per the constitutional body.

Most of the service voters come from a handful of states. The top seven account for over 50 per cent of the share. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Punjab are among the key states with the highest number of service electors  (chart 2).