EC wants 10% more voting than in 2014

The Election Commission has set for itself the ambitious target of increasing voting percentage in the 2019 general election by about 10% more than in 2014. If this is achieved, it will be able to sustain the upward momentum of voting percentage that began five years ago. The 2014 general election witnessed an unprecedented increase of over 15% against the preceding general election.

In the 2014

Lok Sabha

election, voting percentage in

Gujarat

stood at 63.66%, a record jump over the 47.89% voting in the 2009 general election. If the EC is successful in clocking a 10% rise in votes cast, the turnout will cross 73% in the state. In the three general elections held between 1999 and 2009, the voting percentage in Gujarat hovered between 45% and 48% of the electorate.

S Murali Krishna, chief electoral officer, Gujarat said: “According to the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI), we have carried out a series of activities in all the districts targeting different classes of voters to motivate them for voting in the Lok Sabha election 2019.”

Stating that the focus has been on young and firsttime voters, the official added, “We have focused considerably on the young voters and women. We have appointed young celebrities as state and district brand ambassadors to promote voting.” As many as 875 ‘campus ambassadors’ have been appointed in colleges across the state to create awareness about voting.

Murali Krishna said that a target of reaching out to 1 crore students in schools has been set to give them an understanding of the importance of casting one’s vote. “We have distributed 77.18 lakh ‘resolution to vote letters’ in schools so that students can get them signed by parents. So far 67.72 lakh families have returned the resolution letters with a pledge to vote,” the official said.

Among other steps aimed at increasing

voter turnout

, the number of polling booths has been increased substantially, so voters don’t have to travel far to cast their votes. Special arrangements have been made for persons with disabilities at all booths.

“We are using social media in a big way along with traditional media like radio, newspaper ads, TV ads, folk art and other media to motivate voters to vote,” Murali Krishna added.