New Delhi: For the first time, Armed Forces personnel would be able to exercise their franchise through proxy voting in the coming Assembly elections with the Army authorities making all preparations in-time.

The Adjutant Generals branch at Army Headquarters had circulated Form 13F to the troops even in far- flung and inaccessible areas to nominate blood relations as proxy voter, an Army spokesman said.

The forms, the spokesman said, are required to be countersigned by the soldier's commanding officer or notary or a first class magistrate. The completed form would be then sent to Returning Officers of the constituencies going to polls.

For the ensuing Assembly elections to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chhatisgarh and Mizoram, these forms are required to be sent to Returning Officers by November 3 for the constituencies going to polls on November 20 and by November 13 for others, he said.

Earlier, though the soldiers were allowed to vote by postal ballots, these invariably did not reach the Returning Officers in time. But with the passage of the Proxy Voting Bill, Armed Forces personnel would now get a chance to exercise their franchise by proxy.

PTI