In the ongoing three-tier panchayat elections in Uttarkashi, over 3,300 government employees deployed for polling duty will be unable to cast their votes. The State Election Commission has not issued any guidelines to facilitate voting rights for polling personnel, unlike in assembly or parliamentary elections where postal ballots are allowed.
According to official data, 3,395 employees have been assigned duties across various polling stations, along with 20 zonal magistrates, 76 sector magistrates, and 50 in-charge officers. With no postal ballot provision in place, these polling staff will not be able to vote in the elections they are helping conduct.
The decision has sparked criticism from teacher and employee unions. District President of the Rajkiya Shikshak Sangh, Atol Mehar, pointed out that most employees are residents of rural areas and registered voters there. He stressed that denying them their voting rights directly affects the voter turnout in those regions.
Unions argue that just like in Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, and municipal elections, postal ballot arrangements should have been made. Many fear that the absence of this option in panchayat elections is unfair and may influence electoral outcomes. CDO S.L. Semwal confirmed that no instructions regarding voting arrangements for polling staff have been provided by the commission.
