CASTING VOTE Today is Election day in Tamilnadu. Since hot summer my wifestarted to polling booth in the local high school about a KM away in the earlymorning by 6.30 AM. She had booth numberand serial number got from her friend. I reminded to take voter ID and mask. Shecame after voting telling crowd is there.
I had my booth (different from her) and serial number writtenin a pocket book from her. I took Aadhar in addition to voter ID since in thelast election they hada confusion about my face in voter ID and polling officer permitted. I did not ask how I should look like with dyed blackhair and looking smart to certain extent at 42, at the age of 72 also. Myheight has reduced, wrinkles have come, baldness has come and I do not dye hairafter retirement. I reconfirmed with the people on the road close to theschool working for booth assistance about my polling booth and serial number, the smart people entered them ina printed slip filling up locations. I ensured, spectacles wasthere, my voter ID and Aadhar are there. I kept the pocket book in pants pocketsince no more necessary I felt. One lady there asked me mama, soowkyama(Uncle,are you fine). I replied very fine with a smile. I could not recognize her. On theway I received smiles from party people and acknowledged. Before 300 meters one municipality person was stoppingall two wheelers. Like me many elders were walking and comingsince autos are not available as observed by me. I had to locate the booth. One police man was sittingin front of a booth. He said go forward with a smile. He would be about toretire either this month or next post. Ha ha Ilocated my booth. Ireconfirmed with the young lady police constable who welcomed with a smile. A municipal ladystanding gave me one gloves for right hand, sanitizer and checked my temperature.She asked the question- Ammavarealingala? (Why my wife has not come?) I said already came and casted vote in another boothand came back home. I know it was for showing familiarity. Now the lady constable smiled again and tookme to the first person in the booth. Believe me, I was thinking asking the police constableconcession if people are more for the senior citizen. I was the only person to boothat that time. I ensured my mask covers the nose and went in. I gave the slip. The first officer verified, second officerchecked the voter ID just like that and smiled. I wasreadily keeping the aadhar if required to be given. Probably he would havethought- How nice lookingperson has become like this. The next officer applied voting ink inleft hand index finger. The polling officer a lady directed meto the booth next to her. I checked the buttons. Now Iunderstood why the gloves was given. I pressed one which I selectedusing the button. In the darkness of the hardboard screen, surely spectacleshelped me much to read the names of the candidates. Actually two machines werethere, since number of candidates are more. I am not able to recollect, earlier the display of thecandidate to whom I have casted vote by pressing the key was there in thevoting machine. Only a lamp used to glow with a beep sound indicating castingof vote is complete if my memory is correct. I thought some more information can be added here. During my boyhood days I have seen my father going first to booth mostly in the evening, if he had no election duty. Afterwards my mother would go, put her signature as ശ്രീ (Sree) in Malayalam and tick the person to whom vote had to be casted. Normally even between husband and wife, to whom the vote was casted is not told. On those days there was no identity check was there. It was trust. Though I became 21 in 1962, I have no recollection ofcasting vote till 27. At the age of 27 Icasted my vote in Sivakasi. It was in 1979 while I was working in Pudukkottai. There was graduate constituency election. Ishowed my degree and casted vote. At that time I understood there are reserved quota forgraduates, Anglo Indians etc. in the parliament. The voter ID was introduced by our Late Sri Seshan,election commissioner. It was around 1992 or 1993. A group of people were asked to stand withspace in between and photo of face was taken for the voter ID. Later when my son came from foreign country on vacation,to cast vote during coming election, I took him to Taluk office at NEYYATINKARA,where they took photo, filled up the particulars from Passport, laminated andgave on the spot. A small waiting period was there for one hour. Now many have no voter ID, but Aadhar is there, basedon aadhar and name in the list, voting is permitted. Special ink for applying in finger to identify the person already voted is made by a company in Mysore. A Joke about voting. Once a person stood as candidate for assemblyelections. He went homes requesting votes, conducted meeting etc. Finallyresult came and had only one vote. One of the persons asked- At least you would have got two,one by you and another by your wife. He replied- She wanted to be a candidate, I stoppedher. On therevenge she too casted the vote to some body. Posted by R. 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