The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to undertake a special enrollment drive for first time voters and those who could not enroll their names in the voters list for some reason between July 1 to July 31, 2017.
The decision was taken after the EC observed low voter enrollment amongst college going students in 18 to 19 age group and also in 20 to 29 age group.
Disclosing this to reporters here today, ECI's Joint Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anil Valvi said only 33.70 per cent of the college youth in the 18 to 19 years age group have so far registered themselves as voters.
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He said out of the 35.81 lakh population in the 18 to 19 years age group only 12.07 lakh youth have registered themselves as voters till today.
"The special enrollment drive will focus on the age bracket of 18 to 21 years of college going youth during the month long drive in July next month," he said.
Besides this special campaign will be launched on two days July 8 (second Saturday) and July 22 (fourth Saturday), said the official.
Apart from these two days, on other two days special camps will be held at government and private educational institutions, he said.
During the special drive Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will make house to house visits and collect Form 6 (voter registration form) especially from those in the age bracket of 18 to 21 years.
The forms collected during this special drive will be disposed off by August 31, he added.
Valvi said college principals have been appointed as nodal officers. He added during the admission process in colleges the students bring along documents like Aadhar Card, Birth Certificates besides marksheets for submission.
He said these same documents are also required for voter registration. Hence they need not submit new documents for voter registration.
ECIs Joint CEO and Deputy Secretary Shirish Mohod said that the Higher and Technical Education department has issued a Government Resolution (GR) on May 15 wherein the students at the time of taking admissions will give an undertaking that they shall enroll their names in the voters list.
Mohod said the ECI has appealed to the government to spare its employees for appointment as BLOs and political parties to spare their Booth Level Agents (BLAs), National Social Service (NSS) and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to lend their support in ensuring maximum persons eligible to vote register themselves as voters.
He said the ECI is making special efforts to target "future voters" (youth who will soon become eligible to vote) and make them aware of their duty to vote. The ECI plans to organise seminars in colleges to make youth making them aware of their voting rights and duties.
Besides this during the special drive the ECI will also undertake the drive to delete names of voters who have died after ascertaining the same from housing society office- bearers.
As per the voter data as on January 5, 2017 released by the ECI, the total voters registered in the age group of 20 to 29 years is 1.55 lakh which is 86.62 per cent of the total census population of 1.79 lakh.
Besides this the voter registration in the age groups of 30 to 39 is 108.82 per cent, 40 to 49 years is 107.27 per cent, 50-59 years is 107.33 per cent, 60 to 69 years is 108.01 per cent, 70 to 79 years is 112.24 percent and 80 plus is 113.39 per cent.
Besides this out of the total voter population of 8.34 crore as on January 5, 2017, the highest voter registration of 71.23 lakhs is in Pune district, followed by 67.41 lakh in Mumbai Suburban district and 58.14 lakhs in Thane district.
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