The Election Commission of India has made a strategic shift towards comprehensive personnel training as part of efforts to amplify voter participation in the State in the coming Assembly elections.
Deputy election commissioner Manoj Sahoo said the initiative was aimed at achieving highest possible voter engagement in the elections. Mr. Sahoo was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day conference for district nodal officers of SVEEP (systematic voter education and electoral participation) organised by the ECI.
He said that approximately seven crore potential voters (around 8% of the total electorate) across the country, primarily comprising urban youth enrolled in educational institutions, remained untapped. SVEEP activities aimed at bolstering voter awareness would play a pivotal role in enrolling youth into the democratic process.
He expressed concern over low voter turnout in Telangana during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While the State witnessed 73.37% turnout in the 2018 Assembly elections, it dropped to 62.77% in the subsequent Lok Sabha polls. Officials were exhorted to step up their efforts for enhancing voter turnout by employing social media and adopting innovative approaches.
ECI director SVEEP Santosh Ajmera outlined the strategic approach to voter focus, booth focus and evidence focus. He stressed the need for meticulous booth-level planning, targeted interventions and electoral literacy to achieve higher voter engagement. Proactive use of social media channels was crucial for effective SVEEP campaign. Joint Chief Electoral Officer Sarfaraz Ahmad highlighted the successful initiatives like college programmes and engagement with local icons, which significantly boosted first-time voter enrolment in the State.
