At a time when people from across the country are getting ready to exercise their franchise for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections,  there are some sections in society that cannot vote in spite of having voter ID cards and the willingness to show the power of casting the ballot.

This section comprises government employees, men in khakis, read policemen, and also teachers. The government officials and security men deputed for election duty are finding themselves in a fix - they could not vote despite having  voter ID cards. For the call of duty assumes more significance than actually thrusting the ballot.

‘I have a voter’s ID card but I may not be able to vote this time. Last time too, I couldn’t because I was on duty,’ says Sabapathy, a Border Security Force personnel who belongs to Tirunelveli district and is on duty in Assam. ‘We have the postal ballot option but it won’t work out cent percent’, he adds.

However the Election Commission has instructed to include the army personnel names in the electoral rolls in the constituencies where they are deputed so as to facilitate them to vote. Even teachers who have been deputed for election duty would not be able to exercise their franchise.  ‘I want to vote but work prevented me from doing so last time’, recalls Saravanan a private school teacher.

‘I belong to Madurai but I was assigned for election duty in Sivaganga district last time and I didn’t exercise my voting rights’, he adds. ‘Let us see what happens this time,’ he says with hope. For polling staff, Election Commission has said that polling staff which had failed to submit Form 15 and 16 for postal ballot can visit the local body office wherever they had been deputed and collect the form and submit it to the official there.

The postal ballot will be given after verification of the form and it can be dropped in the box kept there. When asked, CPI general secretary D Pandian, who admitted to some practical difficulties existing, said those who are assigned for election duty have to submit the necessary forms.He also demanded they must be able to vote whatever the process that has to be strictly followed so that they can exercise their vote.