BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to increase the enrolment of prospective voters through educational institutions, the chief electoral officer (CEO) on Monday asked the Higher Education department to undertake special drives for the enrolment of eligible voters immediately after the admissions.
CEO Nikunja Bihari Dhal in a letter to Higher Education Secretary Arvind Agarwal asked the department authorities to conduct special drives in colleges and universities through NSS members and enrol new voters in the institutions.
Stating that the enrolment of young voters in Odisha is not up to the mark as compared to the other segment of voters, Dhal said enrolment of young voters is important for an inclusive election process.
According to the amendment in the RP Act, 1950, the voters’ registration is done on four dates - January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 instead of the previous practice of enrolling voters who are turning 18 years, on January 1 every year.
“In this aspect, it is requested to instruct the higher educational institutions for taking up special drives for enrolment of eligible voters during and immediately after the ongoing admission process,” he said.
The students can also apply for enrolment through the Voter Helpline application and participate in the activities of the electoral literacy clubs functioning in the higher education institutes.