Skipped polls, expect call from EC

Missed out voting in elections? The Election Commission may soon reach out to you with a plea to cast your precious vote in the next round of elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Friday that it had reached out to the industry, departments and organisations with more than 500 employees to appoint nodal officers to create awareness among the non-voting employees.

"After the voting, these nodal officers will try and persuade these non-voting employees. We will try to reach out to them and say 'please try next time'. That is a kind of awareness that we will start," Kumar said at a press conference here. Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey was also present at the press conference.

He said the Commission was focusing its energies trying to address the issue of urban apathy towards the poll process.


Kumar said four metropolitan cities were among the 7-8 districts that had witnessed the least voting in the 2019 general elections.

"We are focusing on urban apathy very, very seriously," the CEC said, adding that the chief electoral officers and district officers have been asked to focus on polling booths that have witnessed the lowest polling percentage in each constituency.

Kumar said district electoral officers have been asked to personally visit such booths, find out reasons for lower turnout and address the difficulties faced by the people.

He said the Commission has three broad objectives - to hold free and fair, inclusive, accessible and inducement-free elections.

The CEC said the Commission would also reach out to colleges and universities to increase their participation in the poll process.

The Commission was also making efforts to ensure maximum voter participation, including that of young, urban, women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PwD)and third gender voters.

"Special proactive steps have been taken to enrol PwDs and third genders, among other categories," Kumar said.