Elderly Voters Face Poll Booth Chaos in Pune

On Thursday, many of Pune's elderly citizens, known for their high electoral enthusiasm, faced considerable challenges. A confusing ward system, coupled with poorly allocated polling booths and strict identity verification, left numerous seniors unable to cast their votes. Haphazard assignment of polling stations often split families across different locations, requiring multiple visits to distinct centers. This mismanagement significantly discouraged voters, especially those with mobility issues or who found the distances to their designated booths prohibitive.

For some, the issue was distance; an elderly resident from Handewadi was assigned a booth nearly 12 km away and found herself in a different ward than expected. Others encountered barriers with documentation, being denied the vote with only a photocopy of their Aadhaar card. Despite these hurdles, many demonstrated unwavering civic duty, walking or traveling by two-wheeler to find their correct polling stations and express their views.

Stories emerged of seniors prioritizing voting over daily routines and insisting on exercising their franchise despite their children's indifference. They expressed a desire for positive change and an end to corruption, hoping their votes would contribute to better development and address local issues like water supply and roads, even as they reflected on the changing face of Pune.