The defence personnel posted away from their homes will for the first time in the country be able to cast their votes through electronic ballot -- a one-way electronic transmission -- in the upcoming state assembly polls, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday.

"We have decided to allow the defence personnel and central para-military forces personnel to cast their votes through one-way electronic transmission system," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told reporters here while announcing the dates for the assembly polls in five states in 2017.

However, the EC clarified that voting through the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot (ETPBS) "will be implemented in a few classified assembly constituencies on a pilot and trial basis" in the five poll-going states.

Zaidi said voting through ETPBS was successfully run in August 2016 on a pilot basis in the bye-elections in Punducherry.
 

The assembly constituencies where ETPBS will be implemented "shall be selected on certain criteria based on logistics, connectivity and operational requirements", the EC said in a statement.