As the 2014 lok Sabha elections draw near, the UT Election Commission is sparing no effort to ensure that voters exercise their franchise.This time, the UT Election Commission is going extra mile to ensure that the first time voters and youth voters turn up in large numbers to vote on the polling day in Chandigarh.
Campus ambassadors in city colleges have been entrusted with a task to spread awareness and exhort youngsters to exercise their franchise. Four to five campus ambassadors have been appointed in all colleges to work in coordination with UT Election Department to urge youth to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming election.
Besides, the UT Election Department has joined hands with two NGOs to spread awareness about election process in the colleges and other parts of the city. Chandigarh has 18,170 electors aged between 18 and 19 years, in which male electors constitute 63.8 per cent and female electors constitute 36.2 per cent, according to the electoral data 2014 released by the Election Commission.
The first time voters in Chandigarh’s electors list include 11,593 males and 6577 females. Talking to The Pioneer, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Tilak Raj said, “Four to five campus ambassadors have been appointed in each college to disseminate election related information and exhort youngsters to vote on the election days.”
He said, “The UT Election Department had asked the college principals to appoint campus ambassadors. These campus ambassadors will work in coordination with the UT Election Department. The campus ambassadors would also apprise the youth about the incentives they would get after voting in Chandigarh. Special awareness camps regarding the voting process will be held for the youth. Besides, slogan-writing competition in Colleges would be held.”
“The election time would be more like a festive season in Chandigarh. The UT Election Department has also tied up with hotels and restaurants to offer special discount to the voters who exercise their franchise. From surprise gifts to cash vouchers, the UT Election Department has planned a number of rewards/incentives for the city voters who exercise their right to vote on the election day,” he added.
In the past, Chandigarh voters have failed to show up in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the general elections. The voting percentage in Chandigarh has remained below 70 per cent.
In Chandigarh, the poll percentage in the year 2004 was 52.06 per cent. In 1998 and 1999, it was only 42.36 per cent and 46.99 per cent respectively. And, breaking the record of past 20 years, the voting percentage was recorded 65.51 per cent in 2009.
The highest electors turn out was 66.85 per cent recorded in the year 1971 here. At present, the total number of voters in the city is pegged at 5,80,700, including 315336 males and 2,65,364 females.