VIJAYAWADA: As the time for submission of Form-6 for voter enrolment drew to a close on Friday, Election Commission (EC) shifted its focus on making voters aware through campaigns about the need to increase polling percentage in the elections to be held on April 11.
The commission has designed awareness programmes laying special emphasis on encouraging youth and women to exercise their franchise.
Addressing a Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) meeting in the chambers of the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office in the Interim Government Complex at Velagapudi, Additional CEO Sujatha Sharma said awareness drives were being designed to sensitise students of colleges and other higher education institutions.
She directed the officials concerned to hold awareness drives in schools, residential schools, colleges and hostels running under Social and Tribal Welfare department so that the students would apprise their parents about the significance of exercising their franchise in the elections.
Sharma said elocution contests will be held for the college-going students at the district and State-level on importance of voting right. Winners and runners-up of the district-level contests will gets a cash prize of Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,500 respectively and get to take part in the State-level contests.