New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday notified that for the first time in a Lok Sabha Election, the poll panel has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and Persons with Disabilities in the upcoming elections.

"Voters above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with 40% benchmark disability can avail the optional home voting facility. Voters in this category have already began casting their votes for phase I and II of polling", the poll panel said in a statement.

There are over 81 lakh 85+ aged voters and 90 lakh + PwD voters registered across the country.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had announced that by giving home voting facility to elders and PwDs, it is Commission’s expression of care and respect towards them and hoped that it would set an example for society to adopt it in day-to-day life.

Voters who availed the home voting facility in phase 1 polls have expressed gratitude and satisfaction for the ECI initiative.

"Voting from home takes place with involvement of a full contingent of polling staff and security personnel with secrecy of voting diligently maintained. With this, ECI has taken another decisive step towards facilitating a more equitable and representative democracy, where every citizen's voice matters, regardless of physical limitations or age", the ECI said.

In Churu, Rajasthan eight PwD voters, all from the same family, exercised home voting facility underlining the strength of India’s electoral democracy.

In Chhattisgarh, 87-year-old Indumati Pandey and 86-year-old Sonmati Baghel, from Bastar and Sukma tribal districts, exercised their franchise using the postal ballot at home.

In Maharashtra, ECI polling teams travelled 107 kms to provide home voting facility to two elderly voters in Sironcha town in Gadchiroli district, LWE affected area.

It is pertinent to note here that CEC Rajiv Kumar while announcing the schedule of the LS elections last month had said that people above 85 years of age and those with more than 40 per cent disability will be able to cast their votes from home.