Lucknow, Jan 26 (IANS): At least nine polling booths in the Lucknow will be operated by staff with physical disabilities.

This is being done to motivate and increase the participation of physically challenged voters, the district election officer (DEO) said.

Besides, Covid positive patients would be allowed to vote in the final hour of voting on their respective booths. Elderly or physically disabled voters who wish to avail postal ballot facility have to contact their returning officer or booth level officer by January 30.

A total of 4,018 booths at 1,526 polling stations have been built under nine constituencies of Lucknow district. Of these, 41 booths would be operated by all women staff, while one booth will be green -- facilitated with solar power.

Each polling booth would have four staff to ensure hassle-free polling for 11 hours.

According to the DEO office, there are a total of 23,050 persons with disabilities registered as voters in the nine constituencies.

DEO Abhishek Prakash said, "The idea is to motivate voters and increase their participation in polling. If our physically disabled staff can put efforts for more than 11 hours in election duty, we hope a large number of people will reciprocate our efforts by exercising their adult franchise."

"Even otherwise, each polling station would have ramps for physically handicapped voters and amenities such as toilet, drinking water and hand sanitizer," said Amar Pal Singh, additional district magistrate (east).