There’s no excuse to not cast your vote. Time, distance and work pressure shouldn’t be deterrents, and a few civic minded Chennaiites have shown the way. For those who don’t have a registered voter’s ID in the city, and weren’t able to go to the constituency (where they are registered) to cast their vote, postal voting was the practical solution.

This facility allows citizens to cast their votes through postal services. But there is no getting away from planning ahead. Application forms have to be collected in advance from the place where their voter’s ID is registered.

RJ Dheena of Big FM is proof that postal voting works. “It wasn’t possible for me to take off from work. I’d missed voting the last couple of times, and this time I wanted to do my bit for the country, by voting. My voter ID card is registered in my native place (Salem). I approached the EC office here and they guided me through the entire process,” he explains. Even though there isn’t an inked finger to show for the efforts of ‘postal voters’, it’s the feeling of having contributed, that matters.”

“I’ve been in Chennai for three years, but I’m originally from Coimbatore. This is the first time I’m voting in the general elections and I wanted to ensure my vote played its part,” says Vijay Ramakrishnan, a programme analyst with an MNC.

Dheena summed up the relevance of exercising the postal vote option. “It was difficult for me to get a voter ID in Chennai because I’ve been shifting houses here. I didn’t want to let go of my right to vote. It’s true that obtaining an ID card, or applying for a postal vote is not easy, but remember, little drops make the ocean.”