NEW DELHI: With the country gearing up for the upcoming general elections, there’s a significant focus on the involvement of first-time voters in what’s often termed the ‘festival of democracy’.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is proactively encouraging voter registration by introducing four registration windows annually. Many states have already noted a surge in the number of first-time voters compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, indicating a heightened participation of youth in the democratic process.
In a recent survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS, 1,290 first-time voters (comprising 47% young men and 53% young women) in Delhi were interviewed. The study revealed that over half of first-time voters in the city (51%) had not yet registered themselves with over three-quarters of 18-year-olds yet to register. However, there is a gradual decrease in the proportion of unregistered voters as we look at subsequent age groups.
Of the unregistered individuals, half (51%) intend to register for the upcoming elections, while the remainder provided diverse reasons for not doing so. Among these, two out of every ten (19%) mentioned a lack of time, and one out of every ten (11%) expressed uncertainty regarding the acceptance of their registration. Additionally, one-sixth (16%) offered various other explanations, such as encountering obstacles during registration due to insufficient documentation, disinterest in voting, unfamiliarity with the registration process, or having their applications rejected.
However, young voters also showed a visible inclination towards political engagement. When directly asked about their level of interest in politics, one-third (36%) of the first-time voters expressed a substantial interest, while four of every ten (43%) indicated a moderate level of interest. Only two in ten first-time voters conveyed either minimal interest or no interest at all in politics.
All the seven seats of the national capital will go for polls in a single phase of May 25, Thursday. The counting votest will take place on June 4, according to the election schedule.