Mr Ballot Box flies Business to Delhi, with humans on guard

Social media is once again buzzing with the curious case of a flyer named 'Mr Ballot Box'. The passenger with the quirky name made headlines a few days ago. So, who's Mr Ballot Box and why is he on a flight?  

Don't be too surprised if you are on the same flight as Mr Ballot Box and find a literal box sitting in the same row as you. Mr Ballot Box is none other than the ballot box from the Presidential elections. The ballot boxes with the votes of MPs from all the states are flying back to New Delhi for counting. 

The ballot boxes are mostly travelling on a front-row air ticket accompanied by their respective Assistant Returning Officers (AROs). Mr Ballot Box(es) boarded early morning direct flights on Tuesday and touched down in Delhi by noon. Places without a direct flight will reach Delhi by the evening. Some ballot boxes are even travelling business class.

Was this the norm earlier? No, earlier the ballot boxes would be transported as hand luggage of the supervising officials. However, this year, the Election Commission booked a two-way ticket for these boxes, with their separate seat and under a quirky name: Mr Ballot Box. 

Why are the ballot boxes flying on separate seats? The Election Commission said, "The Ballot Box has a prominent role in the process of Presidential elections - being no ordinary box, as it is to hold the fate of the highest office of the largest democracy on the planet. Thus, the mandated procedure specifies special caution during the transportation, storage, and use of these boxes. Particularly for the conduct of Presidential elections, the process also involves a fascinating journey of the ballot box reaching every state capital."

The Presidential elections concluded on Monday, July 18, 2022. In the race are NDA-backed Droupadi Murmu and the Opposition-supported Yashwant Sinha. The counting of votes will be held on July 21 and India will get a new President on July 25.