In a first of its kind initiative, the Election Commission (EC) has reached out to over 150 Community Radio stations from across the country to help educate and inform the voters. According to EC, the community radio is one the best medium to reach the last voter of the country.

Addressing an event organised by India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM), in partnership with Seeking Modern Applications for Real Transformation (SMART), at IIIDEM, Dwarka, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said  Community Radio can play a vital role in motivating and mobilising the voters, enlisting the underserved voters into the electoral roll, mobilising them to go to the polling booth, educating them about their rights and responsibilities, and making them an informed and educated voter.

He emphasised that every voter is the first representative of the country, they are the soldiers and play an important role in protecting democracy.

" Elections provide a level playing field as each vote has the same power, no matter who casts it -the richest of the rich or the poorest of the poor. Community Radio can play an important role in strengthening democracy by developing content in their local dialects and deepening the process of voter education and awareness upto the grass root levels. He assured that Community Radio Stations will now become an integral part of the voter education programme.

The workshop was inaugurated by Mr Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Deputy Election Commissioner & DG, IIIDEM on March 25, who iterated that Community Radios can play a pivotal role in increasing voter enrolment and participation in the "Festival of Democracy". He said that the tag line of 'No voter to be left behind' was to ensure that each and every eligible voter irrespective of his or her economic status, class, caste or profession understands the importance of his or her vote.