AP PHOTOS: For the first time India's elderly and disabled are able to vote from home

AP PHOTOS: For the first time India’s elderly and disabled are able to vote from home

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Vijay Lakshmi, 85, greets polling officers as they arrive at her residence, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the chief electoral office of Delhi on Thursday initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Polling officers prepare a ballot paper for an elderly person to cast his vote in his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Polling officers make preparations for K. Datta, 91, right, to cast his vote at his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. The Election Commission of India for the first time has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and persons with disabilities in the 2024 national elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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K. Datta,91, goes through the ballot paper before casting his vote sitting in his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, India’s Election Commission initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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A polling officer holds a voting compartment as an elderly person casts his vote sitting in his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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K. Datta, 91, casts his vote sitting in his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Polling officers check the identity card of an elderly person in his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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An elderly person casts his vote sitting in his home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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A polling officer applies indelible ink on the index finger of Sankar Shivadas, 86, as he casts his vote at home in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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An elderly woman signs a paper after casting her vote at home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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A polling officer holds a voting compartment as Vijay Lakshmi, 85, casts her vote at home, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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A woman holds the the finger of her elderly father as an election officer applies indelible ink mark on it, in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. To encourage and assist elderly persons to cast their votes, the Election Commission of India initiated the home voting facility for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Vijay Lakshmi, 85, sits with an injured arm after casting her vote at home in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 17, 2024. The Election Commission of India for the first time has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and persons with disabilities in the 2024 national elections. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

By MANISH SWARUP

Updated 11:19 AM UTC, May 17, 2024

NEW DELHI (AP) — Vijay Lakshmi, 85, stood beaming at the entrance of her house as she welcomed a team dispatched by the Election Commission of India. They were here to collect her vote.

The team visiting Vijay lakshmi’s neighbourhood comprised of 5 people in total, including a policeman and a cameraperson to document the process.

The octogenarian had just gotten the dressing changed on her injured arm when the team arrived. She didn’t need to be briefed as she was all prepared and excited to vote. “It would not have been possible for me to cast my vote had the team not visited my house,” she said.

The election commission for the first time has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and persons with disabilities in the 2024 national elections. Voters at or above the age of 85 and those with 40% disability have been given the option to vote from home. More than 17 million such voters have registered across the country, the commission said.

Nearly 970 million people — or over 10% of the global population — are eligible to vote in India’s general elections that began April 19 and will run through June 1. The mammoth exercise is the biggest anywhere in the world and will take 44 days before results are announced on June 4.