Family Matters Blog:

Program Eases Voting for Military Families

By Lisa Daniel American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2012 - With Election Day just 54 days away, federal voting officials want to ensure that service members and their families are prepared for their votes to be counted. The Federal Voting Assistance Program has made the voting process easier than ever for Americans serving overseas, Pam Mitchell, the program's acting director, says. The website includes a tab for each state's deadlines for registering to vote and casting absentee ballots. It also has online registration and absentee ballot assistance, and includes a mobile app. "We firmly believe that voting assistance for our absentee voters is absolutely the best that it's ever been," Mitchell said at a Sept. 5 Pentagon news briefing. "There are a lot of tools in our arsenal to help those voters both register, get an absentee ballot and to exercise their right to vote." If you prefer to go in person, there are 221 installation voting offices, all of which the program supports. "We've spent a lot of time reaching out to every single one," Mitchell said. The Military Postal Service Agency provides free, expedited ballot delivery and ballot tracking to your local election office for overseas-based service members and their families. Go to your local post office or postal clerk, use the Label 11 DOD form on your absentee ballot envelope and mail it. Go towww.usps.com to track the status of your ballot, according to the program's website. If you haven't received your ballot by Oct. 6, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, available on the website, as back-up. For each office for which you vote, write in either a candidate's name or their party designation, the website says. For additional help with the absentee voting process, contact FVAP at vote@fvap.gov or call 1-800-438-8683, DSN 425-1584 (CONUS)/312-425-1584 (OCONUS). It also is available on Facebook and you can follow on Twitter at @FVAP. "Our goal is to make sure that anyone who wants to vote has the resources and tolls they need form anywhere in the world to successfully exercise that right," she said.

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Conclusion of the polling in the five states election

CEC addressing a press conference

The Chief Election Commissioner, Dr. S.Y Quraishi addressing a press conference on the conclusion of the polling in the five states election, in New Delhi on March 03, 2012. The Election Commissioners, Shri V.S. Sampath and Shri H.S. Brahma are also seen. (PIB photo)  03-March-2012

Undeterred by rain, D P Maur on election spree

To establish a corruption free govt.
Defeat Congress and oust the present Akali-BJP alliance

Undeterred by the rain, the CPI candidate of the SANJHA MORCHA of PPP,CPI, CPI(M) and Akali Dal (Longowal) from Ludhiana West constituency Dharam Pal Maur, continued his door to door campaign and public meetings today in the Rishi Nagar, Chand Colony, Sukhmani Enclave, Shant Park, Rajguru nagar. Adressing a public rally in his support at Chand Colony Mrs Amarjeet Kaur National Secretasry CPI said that the agenda in this election to defeat Congress and to oust the present ruling Akali-BJP alliance who have successively ruined the state and lowered its position in the country. said that the agenda of the Sanjha Morcha is to establish rule of law and to take Punjab out of the serious debt of Rs. 138000 crore as a result of wrong policies of the alternate Congress and Akali-BJP governments. The people this time have a choice in the form of Sanjha Morcha. There is no rule of law. The alliance partners have gained control of the economy of the state for their benefit. Police is at the service of few VIPs. Corruption is rampant. We have witnessed the infamous City Centre scam in our city itself under the former Congress govt. 2G scam, Common Wealth games scam and Adarsh society scam have fully exposed the hollowness of the congress.  It is time that the people vote for the SANJHA MORCHA of PPP, CPI, CPI(M). Akali Dal Longowal to establish a corruption free government and for economic development of the start. That is why she appealed to the people to vote for Dhram Pal Maur and press the button of Sickle and Ears of Corn on the 30th January. .
On this occasion Mr. Maur while addressing the voters at different places Mr. Maur stated that he will meet the aspirations of the people as he has done as the president of the PAU employees Union for 12 years. As per the  Manifesto,  the Morcha promises to fill all the vacant posts in government / semi government departments on regular basis and not on contract basis. Unemployment allowance of Rs. 2000/- per month will be paid to the unemployed. More and more government schools and colleges would be opened to provide education as per the times so that common people can get quality education. Health care would be made affordable by upgrading the government hospitals and also providing due facilities to the private health providers in the small scale sector. Small scale industry will be given preferential treatment for its development. Special attention through budgetary will be given for development of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary Sciences University (GADVASU) for solving their financial crunch. In addition pension benefits will be ensured to the non-government college teachers. 

Ludhiana:D.P.Maur launches door to door campaign

Noveliest Mitter Sen Meet and Dr. Mitra also joined

Mr Dharam Pal Maur SANJHA MORCHA Candidate from Ludhiana West launched door to door campaign today. He went door to door in E & F Block of Kitchlu Nagar and appealed to the people to vote, support and elect him as the SANJHA MORCHA is committed for rule of law, corruption free government, industrial development, regular employment, security of women and education & health for all. He was accompanied by Dr Arun Mitra–Former President IMA Ludhiana, Sh.Ramesh Rattan–Chairman Small Scale Industries and Traders Association, Sh.Rajesh Gandhi-Member State Committee PPP, Sh.Surinder Singh, Sh.Sumit Sareen, Sh.Vipan Dawar, Sh.Sudesh Kumar–Chairman Punjab Bank Employees Federation, Sh.Mitter Sen Meet–Noveliest and several other prominent citizens of the area.

Comrade Amarjeet Kaur called upon the CPI cadre

Devote full time and energy in support of D P Maur

City unit of the Communist Party of India held a cadre meeting in support of Com Dharam Pal Maur who is contesting as a SANJHA MORCHA candidate of CPI from Ludhiana West. Mrs Amarjeet Kaur National Secretary CPI called upon the CPI cadre to devote full time and energy in support of Dharam Pal Maur.
Today there are three main contending parties to form government in our state. Please do remember the state assembly is the august body which frames policies for all walks of life and decides about revenue collection, budgeting and allocations to social sector as well as other fields.
On the one hand side, she said, is the Congress party during whose regime the infamous City Centre scam in the city of Ludhiana and the scams like 2G Spectrum, Common Wealth Games, Adarsh Housing society etc. happened at the national level. Prices of essential commodities rose to sky high and recently we witnessed how they scuttled the passing of Lok Pal Bill in Rajya Sabha.
The other contender Akali-BJP alliance has ruined the law and order situation in the state, brought the state to the verge economic indebtedness to the tune of Rs.1,38,000 crores, the alliance partners were busy capturing transport and TV channels through all corrupt means for their own benefits, the government adopted the methods of oppression and beating towards agitating unemployed girls and boys. Corruption has risen to unprecedented levels in the state.
She reiterated that for the first time there is a ray of hope for the people of Punjab as an alternative in the form of SANJHA MORCHA of People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI M), Akali Dal Longowal to both these contenders who have been ruling the state of Punjab all these years turn by turn. The Sanjha Morcha is committed for development, for maintaining rule of law, to defend the interests of workers and employees, for defence of home based, small and medium industries, defending the small traders and shop keepers, for expansion of quality education and health care  in the state sector and extending help to the small scale sector in these fields. This Morcha can fulfill the dreams of developing Punjab as a prosperous state with its people having sense of justice and involvement.
Sh.Rajesh Gandhi – Member State Committee PPP in his address assured of active support of PPP cadre.
Others who addressed the meeting include Comrades Kartar Singh Bowani – Distt. Secretary CPI, Ramesh Rattan – City Secretary, Dr Arun Mitra – Asstt. Secretary, O.P.Mehta, Gulzar Goria and Gurnam Gill.
Earlier in the day Mr.Maur addressed several meetings and he went door to door in Agar Nagar where he got rousing welcome from the residents and full support.    

Change in the Election Schedule

First phase of UP Assembly Election, 2012

             The Commission had announced the election schedule to the Legislative Assembly of the States of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh andUttarakhand vide its Press Note No. ECI/PN/69/2011 dated 24th Dec, 2011, providing inter alia, 10th January, 2012 as the date of notification for 60 ACs (1^st phase of UP) with date of poll on 4th February, 2012.

During the Commission’s meetings with representatives of the political parties and review meeting with Divisional Commissioners, DMs-cum-DEOs, IGs/DIGs/SPs on 6^th & 7^th January, 2012 at Lucknow, it was pointed out that though the date of “Barawafat” festival in UP is, presently notified as 5^th February, 2012 by the State Govt, the date of festival can fall on 4^th February, 2012.

Further, the law and order enforcing agencies provided to the Commission fresh inputs with respect to maintenance of Law & Order, availability and movement of security forces, logistics and other issues in various phases of conduct of elections.

Based on updated assessment of ground situation by election machinery of the State and keeping in view also the overall poll schedule in five States, the Commission has now decided the following Election Schedule for the aforementioned 60 ACs of Uttar Pradesh –

Event	Date
1.  Issue of Notification	06.02.2012 (Monday)
2.  Last date of making Nominations	13.02.2012 (Monday)
3. Scrutiny of Nominations	14.02.2012 (Tuesday)
4.Last date for withdrawal of Candidatures	16.02.2012 (Thursday)
5. Date of Poll	03.03.2012 (Saturday)
6. Counting of Votes	06.03.2012 (Tuesday)
7.  Date  before  which  election  shall  be completed	09.03.2012 (Friday)

          List of 60 ACs is annexed.

The Election schedule for other phases of UP Assembly Election shall remain the same, except the date of counting, which shall now be 6^thMarch, 2012.

 The Commission has further decided that the counting of votes in all the five States namely Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh shall also be done now on 6^th March, 2012 instead of 4^th March, 2012.

Click here to see Annexure