Novel steps to boost voter turnout in Hyd’bad district

Hyderabad: To increase the voting percentage in Hyderabad district for the upcoming polls, election authorities are taking innovative measures to boost the voter turnout. The average voter turnout in Hyderabad in 2018 was less than 50 per cent.

In areas with low participation rates during the previous elections, the authorities had implemented a comprehensive outreach programme. It included traditional methods, such as door-to-door campaigning, pasting stickers and distributing pamphlets. Posters, including the sign as ‘proud to be a voter’, were pasted on the doors of houses. Now over one lakh pamphlets and stickers will be distributed in each constituency.

Many eligible persons lack awareness about the importance of voting, their rights, and the electoral process. High illiteracy rates in some regions also make it difficult for many to understand polling and how to vote.

According to Hyderabad DEO Ronald Rose, to increase awareness about the voting process and encourage people to take part, immediate focus is on motivating those with voting rights to vote. An awareness programme will be organised at the booth level so that every registered person in the city must vote.

He said as part of the awareness programme, the booth-level officer (BLO) is going door-to-door and distributing stickers. ‘If they find the house locked, they include their mobile number for information.”

Officers are taking measures to increase the voting percentage, as during the last it was lower than all other districts. The DEO said, “The Election Commission considered the role of BLO to be crucial for increasing voter turnout by going door-to-door and creating awareness among voters and to identify voters to come in large numbers on the polling day, November 30.

All preparations are being made to distribute voter information slips immediately following filing of nomination by the candidates. During the distribution of voter slips, ‘absentee, shifted and dead’ (ASD) list is also used for preparation. On the day of voting, the main voter list, along with the ASD list, will be attached and handed over to the polling officer.

Mobile apps like ‘Voter Helpline App’ (VHA), ‘Know Your Candidate’ (KYC), and ‘CVIGIL’ provided by the Election Commission are being promoted to encourage electors to download the app. One can know details of the polling station and whether the voter’s name is on the list.

Events and awareness campaigns are being planned by non-profit organisations. ‘Let’s Vote’ is actively engaged in educating residents of gated communities, educational institutions, and corporations. Their efforts extend to social media platforms, where they aim to amplify the message of importance of voting.