VIJAYAWADA: The Election Commission is working towards ensuring more than 83 per cent polling in the forthcoming general elections in Andhra Pradesh, said Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena.
He held a review meeting with the team from the Election Commission of India’s Systematic Voters’ Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme on Wednesday.
During the 2019 elections, Andhra Pradesh saw an average voter turnout of 79.77%, surpassing the national average of 69%. With the goal set higher this time, the Chief Electoral Officer emphasised the importance of voter education and participation.
“We are committed to ensuring that every eligible voter is aware and motivated to take part in the democratic process. Our target of achieving over 83% polling is ambitious, yet we believe it is attainable through meticulous planning and execution of SVEEP activities,” Meena stated.
The State’s electoral officers are gearing up for an extensive drive to educate voters on the electoral process, aiming to remove barriers to voting and encourage higher turnout. Regular reviews of the SVEEP programme’s implementation at the district-level are being conducted to ensure preparedness.
The Election Commission of India’s SVEEP team, including Secretary Santosh Kumar and other officials, discussed various strategies and initiatives that will be rolled out across AP to meet the set target.
Instructing the SVEEP Nodal officers, Meena stressed the importance of devising detailed plans at various levels—district, constituency, and polling station—to address the challenges and opportunities each area presents.
Expressing satisfaction over SVEEP’s activities, Secretary Santosh Kumar highlighted strategies, including the mapping of polling stations with low voter turnout, identifying the reasons behind the low engagement, checking on fishermen and students those left for abroad, and developin specific plans to address these issues.