CHENNAI: The Election Commission, which has been making all-out efforts to enrol all the eligible voters in the State, is all set to roll out ‘entertainment-cum-voter awareness’ programme very soon, aiming to cover the two per cent youth in the age group of 18-29 who are yet to be covered.
The number of youth voters in the age group of 18-29 stood at 1,11,81,839 in 2011 and went up to 1,33,12,494 in 2012. During 2013 and 2014, it came down to 1,18,70,214 and 1,12,85,600. Last year, the number of youth voters saw an upward trend (1,31,28,131). This year, as on date, the number of youth voters stands at 1,34,14,423. Despite this, there is a gap of around 2 per cent of the total youth voters which is yet to be covered.
“Hundred per cent fair elections and 100 per cent polling is EC’s motto for this election and for achieving this, we are taking all possible steps by involving NGOs. This time, instead of making mundane appeals in the form of wall posters etc., we have already started a very effective campaign in the social media and it is reaching the people in large numbers”, the CEO, Rajesh Lakhoni, told Express.
Lakhoni said that by way of more efforts, on week-ends, it was proposed to conduct voter awareness programmes at places where people gather in large numbers that would involve the passerbys too. Some NGOs are also planning to do a door-to-door campaign for enrolling young voters. Already, online registration of students above 18 years had been going in full swing in over 1,400 colleges across the State. Campaign is on in FM radio too. In rural areas, voter awareness programmes have been planned at temple festivals, venues for weekly shandies etc. Documentaries are shown in cinema halls.