However, the postal ballot rules will be applicable for voters over the age of 80, disabled or those suffering from novel coronavirus and are either in home or institutional quarantine.

“Commission has already limited the number of electors to one thousand for each polling station for ease of voting, especially for elderly and vulnerable sections of electors, in Covid-19 situations,” it said in a press statement.

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, the poll body said it has already limited the number of voters to 1,000 in each ballot for ease of voting. It also said it has created additional 34,000 polling stations, which roughly equals to 45% more and will also increase the number of polling stations to 1,06,000.

Until late last year, the provision of voting through postal ballot was available to armed forces personnel and those assigned poll duty. In October, however, the Union government accepted the poll panel’s recommendation and the law ministry made amendments by allowing voters who are 80 years of age and above or those with disabilities to use postal ballot for voting during parliamentary and assembly elections. The assembly elections to Bihar’s neighbouring state, Jharkhand, held in November-December, were the first that saw the provision being implemented.