For the General Elections of 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has started focusing on the acceleration of voter turnout, especially for those areas with a record of low voter turnout. ECI of India held a ‘Conference on Low Voter Turnout’ in the Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi. The Conference was held with the Municipal Commissioners from major cities and select District Election Officers (DEOs) from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh deliberated together to chart a path towards enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural PCs. The Conference was presided over by the Chief election Commissioner (CEC ) Rajiv Kumar in the presence of Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. On the occasion, a booklet on voter apathy was released by the Commission.

Eleven states/UTs, namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, J&K and Jharkhand, had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40% in the 2019 General Elections to the Lok Sabha. Out of the total 50 Rural PCs across 11 states identified with lower voter turnout than the national average in 2019, 40 PCs are from Uttar Pradesh (22 PCs) and Bihar (18PCs). In UP, 51- Phulpur PC recorded the lowest turnout of 48.7%, while in Bihar, 29-Nalanda PC recorded lowest turnout of 48.79%.

While addressing the Municipal Commissioners and DEOs, CEC Rajiv Kumar said that a total of 266 Parliamentary Constituencies (215 Rural & 51 Urban) with low voter turnout have been identified and all concerned Municipal Commissioners, DEOs and State CEOs have been called today to find ways to reach out to voters in targeted manner. He The conference, a collaborative effort between the ECI and key stakeholders, focused on crafting a comprehensive action plan to address voter apathy, streamline logistical operations, and increase voter turnout. Discussions were centred on critical issues such as optimizing queue management at polling stations, facilitating voting in high-rise buildings, and leveraging the influential Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.

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With a keen emphasis on partnership and inclusivity, the ECI urged Municipal Commissioners and DEOs to actively contribute to the initiative. Urban specific hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city specific interventions were planned and the officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies. In line with this vision, the ECI outlined an array of innovative voter awareness campaigns under SVEEP, including:

• Rolling out public transport and sanitation vehicles adorned with essential election messages.
• Incorporating voter awareness messages into utility bills for widespread dissemination.
• Collaborating with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and voter awareness forums.
• Hosting informative sessions at popular public spaces such as parks, markets, and malls.
• Organizing engaging events like marathons, walkathons, and cyclothons to ignite voter interest.
• Utilizing various platforms including hoardings, digital spaces, kiosks, and Common Service Centres (CSCs) to disseminate voter education materials.
• Leveraging the power of social media platforms for extensive voter outreach and engagement.

The Conference was attended by Municipal Commissioners of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Patna Sahib, Lucknow and Kanpur as well as select District Election Officers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. CEO Bihar, CEO Uttar Pradesh, CEO Maharashtra and CEO Delhi also attended the conference with CEOs of 7 states namely Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Punjab joined virtually.

Background:

Approximately 297 million eligible voters did not vote in the General Elections to Lok Sabha in 2019 underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive measures. Furthermore, recent elections across various states have highlighted trends of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and collaborative endeavours.

Of the 50 PCs with the lowest voter turnout in the 2019 GE to Lok Sabha, 17 were found to be in Metropolitans or major cities reflecting an unfortunate trend of urban apathy. The same trend has been seen in the past few State Assembly Elections. In General Gujarat State Legislative Assembly elections 2022, Gandhidham AC in Kachchh district, which has industrial establishments, recorded lowest polling percentage of 48.14%, a sharp decline of almost 6% than the last election in 2017, recording a new low. Similarly, in GE to SLA of Himachal Pradesh 2022, the Shimla AC in Shimla District (State Capital) recorded the lowest polling percentage of 63.48% against the State Average Poll % of 75.78%. It has been observed that all rural Assembly Constituencies have voted more in percentage terms than urban Assembly Constituencies of Surat. The difference in lowest urban AC of Surat with highest rural AC is as much as 25%. Similarly, in the State Legislative Assembly Election of Karnataka 2023, AC Bommanahalli in Bangalore (Bangalore South) recorded the lowest VTR of 47.5% as compared to State Average VTR of 73.84%

In response to these challenges, the ECI has implemented a suite of initiatives aimed at reinvigorating voter engagement and participation, including:

• Devising a Turnout Implementation Plan (TIP) for targeted interventions at polling stations.
• Crafting district-specific themes for polling stations catering to diverse demographic groups.
• Collaborating with key stakeholders to expand voter outreach and awareness efforts.
• Formalizing electoral literacy in the education system through strategic partnerships.
• Engaging National Icons to connect with and inspire young voters.
• Launching integrated multimedia campaigns and targeted initiatives like #MeraVoteDeshkeLiye.
• Ensuring updated electoral rolls and accessibility-friendly infrastructure at polling stations.
• Promoting the use of IT applications for enhanced citizen participation and transparency.
• Providing continuous training to election officials for the seamless conduct of elections.

The Election Commission of India is committed to foster a vibrant democracy by actively engaging citizens and removing barriers to voter participation.