Absentee voters on essential services in Ernakulam can cast their postal votes at the designated centres from April 20 to 22.
Voters who have submitted Form 12 D to the nodal officer before April 1 can avail the facility. Mar Athanasius School at Kakkanad is the postal voting centre for those in the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency. St. Xavier’s College for Women, Aluva, is the centre for those under the Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency, according to an official communication.
The votes can be registered at both the centres from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those eligible to cast postal votes should bring a valid identity card. The facility of postal ballots has been extended to people who are unable to cast their votes because of service conditions. An absentee voter is someone who is employed in “essential services” notified by the Election Commission after consultation with the government.
Scrutiny of expenditure held
The scrutiny of expenses incurred by candidates in the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency in the second phase of campaigning was held here on April 18. Pramod Kumar, election expenditure observer, led the scrutiny of the expenses held at Government Guest House, Ernakulam. He asked agents and representatives of various political parties to ensure that all expenses incurred were recorded.
Necessary steps will be taken if there are differences in the shadow register maintained by officials of the expenditure scrutiny team and the register kept by the candidates. It will be also intimated to the candidates concerned. The third round of scrutiny of expenditure will be held on April 23.
