Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)

Election Commission of India (ECI) in collaboration with defence officers in Puducherry’s Nellithope Assembly Constituency successfully conducted Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS). For all the four service voters of the constituency, Postal Ballots were transmitted electronically and in return three valid postal ballots were received back. ETPBS helps an entitled service voter to cast their vote using an electronically received postal ballot from anywhere outside their constituency.

ETPBS is a fully secured system that was developed by the ECI with the help of C-DAC for the use of service voters. It has been estimated that out of 25 lakh personnel of armed forces, state and central police organizations, only around 14 lakh personnel are service voters. If the electors/service voter makes a choice to cast their vote through this system, Postal Ballot would be delivered in electronic data format to the entitled voter on a real-time basis. The Ministry of Law and Justice has already made required amendments in the conduct of elections rules to enable deployment of electronically transmitted Postal Ballot System.