New Delhi: The Election Commission is pushing for the use of electronic ballot, and has directed the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) to make a short film to educate Service voters on the procedures and methods. A letter sent to the Defence Ministry by the Election Commission (EC) said the NFDC will make a short 10-15 minutes’ film, in order to educate the Service men on how to use Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Paper System (ETPBS).

The EC has been holding meetings with various wings of Armed Forces on the facility of ETPBS. “Election Commission has directed for an educational film on the same for the benefit of Service voters. The film would be for use by the Armed Forces through their various channels to reach out to the last soldier, airman and sailor,” an official said. This comes ahead of assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.

The five states will elect new governments in staggered polls from February 4 to March 8 in the biggest popularity test since the Lok Sabha polls of 2014. Pilot run for the electronic ballot for Service voters took place in November 2016 in the Nellithope Assembly by-elections. As per the EC, the Service voters receive a downloadable postal ballot through two-layer secure electronic medium, with a secured One Time Password (OTP) for downloading the encrypted files sent through mobile or e-mail and the system generated unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) for decrypting and printing each and every single postal ballot to the individual service voter or authorised person. The ballots by Service voters would be received by returning officer through post.