'No Postal Ballot for Govt Employees': Fake WhatsApp Message Goes Viral, Election Commission Fact Checks It

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday refuted a false WhatsApp message circulating regarding government employees being barred from casting their vote through postal ballot. The poll body notified that the facility of voting through postal ballot would be made available for polling personnel engaged in election duty.

“False Claim: A message is being circulated on Whats App that Govt employees cannot cast their vote through postal ballot,” ECI said in a post on X.

“Reality: Message is misleading & fake. Eligible Officials on election duty can cast their vote through postal ballot at designated Voter Facilitation Centre,” it added.

Postal voting or absentee voting is a method of voting where electors are allowed to cast their ballots by mail rather than in person at a polling station.

Officials who are enrolled in the electoral roll, would be on duty on the day of the polling. Therefore, on account of their official duties and would not be able to cast their vote at their respective polling stations. To make sure they could exercise their franchise to vote, the Election Commission set up facilitation centres to enable them to vote through postal ballot.

Apart from voters on election duty, the poll body also allows special voters, service voters, and electors subjected to preventive detention to cast their vote via postal ballot.