Karnataka High Court junks plea for direction to allow senior citizens to cast votes for elections through postal ballot

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea which sought a direction to permit all senior citizens to cast their votes through postal ballots for all elections..While dismissing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Ramesh Naik L, the Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj observed, ."It is not for the writ court to issue a mandamus directing that all senior citizens be permitted to exercise their franchise through postal ballot.".The Court noted that holding Lok Sabha elections is a very serious business undertaken by the Election Commission of India. .The petitioner had also sought directions to the Election Commission of India and the State Election Commission to have a separate queue for senior citizens at polling booths. .This relief too was, however, dismissed by the Court. ."Firstly, a writ of mandamus cannot be issued directing respondents to frame a statutory rule. As far as providing facilities to senior citizens at polling booths is concerned, it goes without saying that whenever State Election Commission or Election Commission conducts election, necessary facilities should be provided to senior citizens to avoid any inconvenience to them and to ensure that they are not required to wait in a long queue. We are sure that SEC and EC are conscious of the issues faced by the senior citizens and they are bound to take necessary measures in that behalf," the Court stated in its order..With these observations, the Court dismissed the plea. .It was the petitioner's contention that senior citizens are the most vulnerable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore, a separate booth should be provided for them as elections are happening even amid the pandemic.Alternatively, the plea sought a direction to provide an option to senior citizens to exercise their franchise in any election by way of postal ballot.