The Madras High Court has asked the ECI to give details on the number of postal ballots issued to Government staff deployed in polling duties in Tamil Nadu. A Government staff association filed the petition saying, about one lakh staff were denied postal ballots.

In the petition, it is said that the denial of ballot papers is against the target of the ECI to achieve cent percent polling. During the hearing today, the court observed that the votes of each and every voter assumes importance in a democracy and asked the ECI to furnish by tomorrow, the data on the number of polling personnel employed and the ballot papers issued .