Lucknow to have over 3.7K booths; citizens aged 85 and above can opt for vote-from-home facility

LUCKNOW As Lucknow braces for the ‘celebration of democracy’, the district administration is working towards equipping all polling booths with key facilities like drinking water, children’s playing area, wheelchairs and toilets to cover every voter, especially the elderly and women.
“The administration has meticulously planned to set up polling stations to ensure equitable access to polling across various constituencies,” said Suryapal Gangwar, district electoral officer.
Citizens aged 85 years and above can access form 12D on the Election Commission of India website to request postal ballots at home, he said, adding: “Within five days of form issuance, booth level officers (BLOs) will pay a visit to assist in filling the form. Previously, this facility was for voters aged 80 and above.” Form 12D is accessible on the ECI website’s homepage under ‘candidate nomination and other forms’.
This initiative aims to facilitate senior citizens by enabling them to vote from home.
Sarojini Nagar constituency leads with 582 booths, followed by BKT 487, Lucknow East 417, Lucknow West 414, Malihabad 405, Mohanlalganj 399, Lucknow North 393 and Lucknow Central 339 booths. Notably, Lucknow Cantt has the least number of 330 booths allocated for voters participating in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Compared to the previous elections, the number of voters has surged by 1.49 lakh. In 2022 assembly elections, Lucknow boasted of 4062 booths, but at that time the elections were held under Covid scare and social distancing was a norm. However, during the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the district administration has planned 3767 booths, marking a notable reduction of 295 booths.
District magistrate Suryapal Gangwar said unlike the previous polls, where strict Covid protocols were enforced due to rapid spread of Omicron variant, this time around, no such guidelines are applicable. During the last elections, the Election Commission mandated a cap of 1200 voters per booth, leading to an increase in the number of booths to accommodate the rising voter turnout.
However, with the situation now different, the maximum number of voters per booth has been fixed at 1500, resulting in a reduction in the number of booths compared to 2022.
During the previous Vidhan Sabha elections, the total number of voters stood at 38,04,114, but now (Lok Sabha elections) the figure has climbed to 39,53,287, indicating a substantial increase of 1,49,173 voters in Lucknow.
This year, 14 polling stations have been established in high-rise buildings. According to Gangwar, this decision has been taken due to the rapid expansion of the city and the population residing in newly constructed apartments.
A special campaign was launched to include these residents on the voter list to ensure inclusivity and accessibility in the electoral process.