Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Election 2024: Key Details for Phase-III Voting on October 1
The final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election 2024 is set to take place on October 1. The Chief Electoral Officer, Pandurang K Pole, announced that over 39.18 lakh voters across 40 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in 7 districts are eligible to vote in this phase.
Constituencies and Polling Stations:
- Kashmir Division: 16 ACs including Karnah, Kupwara, Sopore, and Baramulla.
- Jammu Division: 24 ACs such as Udhampur West, Kathua, Samba, Jammu East, and Nagrota.
There are 5,060 polling stations in the districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, and Jammu. Over 20,000 staff members will be deployed across polling stations, with four staff per station including a Presiding Officer.
Voter Demographics:
- Total Voters: 39,18,220
- Male Voters: 20,09,033
- Female Voters: 19,40,092
- Third Gender Voters: 57
- Youth (18-19 years): 1.94 lakh
- Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): 35,860
- Elderly (85+ years): 32,953
Voting Process:
- Time: Voting will be from 7 AM to 6 PM. A mock poll will be held prior to voting.
- Facilities at Polling Stations: Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF), including drinking water, electricity, wheelchair access, and seating arrangements, will be available. Special provisions such as separate queues for senior citizens and PwDs will be made.
Special Polling Stations:
- 50 stations will be managed by women (Pink Polling Stations), 43 by specially-abled staff, 40 by youth, 45 green stations focusing on environmental awareness, and 33 Unique Polling Stations.
- 29 polling stations have been set up near the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) for residents living in these areas.
Voter Information:
Voter Information Slips with polling details (excluding the voter’s photograph) have been distributed. Voters can use any of 12 approved identity documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, and others, to cast their votes. The Voter Helpline App will assist voters with polling information.
Security & Monitoring:
All polling stations will have live webcasting, and communication shadow areas will have alternative arrangements like satellite phones. The Election Commission is utilizing GPS tracking for all election-related vehicles. Additionally, media personnel have been issued passes to cover the elections.
Model Code of Conduct:
Campaigning will end at 6 PM on September 29. The silence period of 48 hours before polling will be observed to allow voters time for peaceful reflection. Public meetings and advertisements are prohibited during this time.
SVEEP Initiative:
The Election Commission’s Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program aims to increase voter turnout through outreach efforts like street plays, social media, and competitions. Efforts have also been made to facilitate voting for PwDs and elderly voters via home voting.
Migrant voters from Kashmir Division can cast their votes at 24 special polling stations in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi.
All voters are encouraged to participate actively in this phase of the election and exercise their democratic rights.
