No more postal ballots, Election Commission tells High Court

KOCHI: The Election Commission has responded to a High Court petition filed by officials who claim they were denied postal ballots for the assembly elections. Informing the court that additional ballots cannot be issued because the strong rooms are now sealed, the Commission clarified that the lack of voting access was due to procedural errors. Specifically, it stated that two of the petitioners failed to submit their forms correctly, while a third failed to collect their ballot in person.

The High Court originally demanded an explanation after government employees, including Muhammed Sinan and M.G. Anilkumar, alleged they never received ballots despite applying at the Voter Facilitation Center. These officials, who were deployed for election duty in the Kuttiady area, were part of a larger group of eligible voters that the court previously intervened to assist. Although the Election Commission had earlier assured the court that ballots would be provided to all eligible personnel by 5 pm that evening, the complainants contend that this promise was violated and their right to vote was ultimately denied.