This municipal election, you can stay at home and click to vote

Internet-savvy voters in the state are in for some good news. Voting for their chosen leaders, during the upcoming city civic body polls, is now just a click away.

The state urban development department has given the green signal to a proposal announced by the state election commission on e-voting, and citizens can now vote from the cosy confines of their homes.

All they need do is register with their respective collector or in the mamlatdar's office, depending on where they reside.

According to official sources, all aspects of the proposal have been looked into, before its implementation.

Earlier, the department had called for objections and suggestions from the general public through a notification issued on May 10, regarding the proposed e-voting.

The process is slated to take place in civic body elections in six municipal corporations, namely Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar.

Government employees will start training people for registration and other processes related to e-voting, beginning from July. Names can also be registered from July only, and the government will also initiate an awareness drive during this period.

The government will issue special voter identity cards for those who wish to cast their vote online, and will register these voters separately. The voters registered online will be given a special password and pin number.

The government will also put up special kiosks at the airport, railway station, bus stations, universities, colleges and other places from where the voters can cast their vote online.

A special server will be made functional at the state election commission office and the commission will handle all the procedures.

Voting lines will be open for a specific period of time, two-three days prior to the election, in six municipal corporations.

The state government has already started the process of appointing technical consultancy firms through Gujarat Informatics Ltd.

The election commission has invited proposals from reputed consultancy firms to assist them in introducing the online voting system on a pilot basis in the forthcoming elections.

The consulting firm will work as a complete end-to-end partner to the election commission.