COIMBATORE: In a bid to increase voter turnout and make the process more accessible, the Election Commission of India (ECI) plans to set up temporary polling stations in large and high-rise apartment communities in urban areas, especially in places like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchy, for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
For this, they have identified around 6,000 locations, especially gated communities like high-rise apartments where a large number of people reside, across the state.
According to officials, the ECI officially announced this on March 4 and plans to set up polling stations in accessible areas, such as the ground floor of apartment buildings, to accommodate voters, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Election officers in each area are working with residents’ groups to find ideal places for polling stations, especially in apartment buildings with more than 800 eligible voters. They also plan to include apartments owned by government departments like the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board, and Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation.
“But it is in the preliminary stage where the district-level officers identify the locations based on the number of eligible voters residing in the campus. Later, it would be discussed with the representatives of the political parties and the EROs to know the possibilities of setting up a temporary polling station, because it depends on various factors such as the number of voters, manpower, security arrangements, etc. Then it would be approved by the ECI,” a top official from the ECI said.
Bringing polling stations closer to voters’ residences, where a large number of people reside in gated communities, can increase voting percentage by making the process convenient and accessible to them, he added.
In Coimbatore district, officials have listed 146 private apartments and 42 high-rise apartment buildings owned by government departments, using information from the sub-registrar offices.
On August 26, District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar met with election officers to talk about the plan. Now, officials are looking into whether they can set up polling stations at these places. After they make their suggestions, more steps will be taken, said an official from the election commission.