To ensure maximum voter turnout in upcoming Punjab Assembly Elections 2022, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr S Karuna Raju directed Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Election Officers (DEOs) in the state to give special attention to polling stations, which had witnessed low voter turnout during the previous Assembly Elections 2017.
In his letter to all the DEOs, the CEO stated that during the analyses of polling station wise voter pattern during the last assembly elections 2017, it is found that certain booths recorded less voting percentage than state average (77.40%), which brings to focus that these polling stations requires special attention to achieve higher voter turnout in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha Elections, 2022.
He directed DEOs to identify the low voter turnout polling stations and conduct maximum activities under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, so that maximum electors could be sensitised about the voting right.
The activities under the SVEEP includes DC da Suneha via Gurdwaras, Tractor Rallies in villages and polling station areas, Student Rallies, Human Chains, Nukkad Nataks or Street Skits by NSS/NCC/NGOs/other volunteers, EVM and VVPAT awareness activities, roping in prominent people and Booth Chon Sakharta (Booth Electoral Literacy) etc. Dr Raju asked DEOs to ensure that all activities are being executed in the Polling Stations areas.
Meanwhile, as part of the SVEEP activity, 30 Mobile Vans, equipped with LED and Audio System, are ready to be dispatched to the districts. These vans will roam across the state to create voter awareness, give a message of voter registration and voting on the poll day.
NEWS CLAIMING "CODE OF CONDUCT IN PUNJAB FROM DEC 23, ELECTIONS ON FEB 4" IS FALSE
A fake news story of an anonymous Punjabi newspaper under the headline "Code of conduct in Punjab from December 23, Elections on February 4” has gone viral on social media. An official spokesperson of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer said that they have investigated this news, which is being circulated on the various social media platforms over the last few days, and found it totally baseless and fabricated. The spokesperson also urged the people of the state to inform the Election Commission of India and the Office of the CEO if they found any such misleading message or news going viral on social media in future.