Voter card mandatory in coming polls

PJ Joychen / TNN / Jul 2, 2008, 06:10 IST

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State chief electoral officer Vinod Zutzi has said that the election commission has also redefined the ‘critical polling stations' in the state.

JAIPUR: No photo identity card, no voting ! That's what the election commission seems to have decided. In the Assembly elections, tentatively scheduled in coming November, possession of voter ID cards will be mandatory to cast votes.
State chief electoral officer Vinod Zutzi, while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, said the election commission has also redefined the ��critical polling stations' in the state.
He said those polling stations where voters identity cards are low, list of absentee voters are high, vulnerability high, and those polling stations reported more than 75% voting during the last elections and where the wining candidate got more than 70% votes in a particular booths are considered critical.
He said at such polling stations, personnel of the Central police force, and a micro-observer, mostly a Central government employee, would be posted in addition to the other officials. He said after the delimitation, though the number of Assembly constituencies remained 200, names of 36 constituencies have been changed while areas in 188 Assembly constituencies have been altered.

He said till January 1 this year, number of voters was 35,254,888, of which 18,466,910 were males while the female voters were 16,787,978.
The electoral officer said in selected Assembly constituencies, 'voter assistance booths' will be set up to help the voters to exercise their franchise. He said the number of polling booth in the state has gone upto 42,000 with the addition of 6,518 new polling stations enlisted for the coming Assembly elections.
Besides a round the clock helpline and a website will also launched shortly to provide access to the voters to get any information regarding electoral rolls, booths etc.
He informed that the second phase of the month-long identity card issuing drive would be launched in the state from July 15. "The review of the voters list is going on from June 30 to August 30 and electorate have an opportunity to correct any mistake if any of the details incorporated in the list from June 30 to July 15," said Zutzi.
He said all citizens who have completed 18 years of age by January 1, 2008, are eligible for voting in the upcoming Assembly elections.
He claimed, about 85% of electorate in the state have received identity cards and the state electoral machinery is geared upto to meet the demand of the remaining 15% of the electorate before the ensuing polls.
"During the first round to the photo identity card drive about 27 lakh voters have made cards and we have decided to make this a continuous process considering the new directive of the Election Commission," Zutzi said and added that for the convenience of the citizens, a permanent photography centres would be set up at all the district and sub-divisional headquarters.

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