AP Panchayat Elections 2021: All You Need to Know On How to Cast Your Vote

AP Gram Panchayat Elections 2021: Polling for 2,723 panchayats is currently underway in the State of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. People began casting their votes from morning 6 :30 AM and by the time it was 8:30 more than 18 percent polling was registered.  

►Voting time is between 6:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon.

►Voter slip is mandatory for voting.

Officials and Elections staff have already come door to door and distributed voter slips with photos in the gram panchayats.

If the voters do not receive a voter slip, they will be issued voter slips by the panchayat office staff at the polling stations.

►The voter must carry an identity card along with the slip.

Also Read: AP Panchayat Elections 2021: Symbols Allotted, NOTA Introduced For First Time

An identity card like Voter Card, Aadhaar, Ration, Bank Passbook, and Passport should be shown as identity proof.

►As per the COVID-19 protocol, voters must maintain distance while standing in the queue. Voters must wear a face mask‌.

►Election staff will give two ballot papers to  the voters. Sarpanch ‌ ballot, ward member's ballot will be given.

Sarpanch ballot paper will be pink in colour and the ward member ballot paper will be white in colour.

Along with that, the swastika stamp dipped in ink will be given at the booth.

Swastika should be marked on the symbol of the candidate on the ballot  paper.

►The ballot must be folded according to the instructions of the polling staff.

This is to prevent any the ink from falling off on a different symbol. In case that were to happen then that ballot paper will be treated as invalid.

►Elderly and disabled people who are unable to vote have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote with the help of assistants. The disabled or elderly can choose assistants of their choice. Prior to this, the permission of the polling officer should be taken at the relevant polling stations.

►All necessary precautions are in place as per COVID-19 protocol amid tight security.

COVID19-infected patients are also given the opportunity to vote.

With the help of local health department staff, the right to vote can be exercised in accordance with appropriate security standards at the last hour.

PPE kits are provided to voters who can cast their vote between 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM

►The polling ‌ officer has the power to cancel the relevant vote if the voter is seen taking a selfie while either casting his vote or at the booth

The AP Panchayat polls will be conducted in four phases till February 21 with the first one being held on Tuesday.

According to the Panchayat Raj department, elections were to be held for 3,249 posts of panchayat sarpanchs, 525 have been unanimously elected, while no nomination was filed for a village in Nellore district.

As many as 7,506 candidates are contesting for sarpanch posts and 43,601 are in the fray for ward members.

The department had said 29,732 polling stations were set up, out of which 3,458 have been identified as sensitive and 3,594 hypersensitive.