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The Election Commission will conduct a lucky draw of prizes in Bhopal every two hours on voting day on May 7, hoping to improve the moderate turnout in the first two phases of elections elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh.
People who vote stand a chance to win diamond rings, refrigerators, televisions and other goodies, reported the Times of India (TOI). Polling in Madhya Pradesh has been notably low, dropping by more than 8.5 per cent on average during the first two rounds.
In the past as well, voting in Bhopal has been moderate. Election Commission’s data showed that despite a surge in voting elsewhere in the country in the 2019 elections, the turnout in Bhopal was 65.7 per cent.
Incentivising voters
Election officials are optimistic (particularly in Bhopal) that the promise of prizes will lure voters out of their homes, especially on a day when temperatures are expected to soar above 40 degrees Celsius, said TOI.
District election officer and collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh told the newspaper that on polling day, three lucky draws would be conducted at each polling booth: At 10 am, 3 pm, and 6 pm. One winner in each of these draws would receive a prize.
A day or two after the elections, a “mega draw” would be held where prizes would be distributed. The initiative was aimed at creating awareness among voters.
Singh noted that there were a total of 2,097 polling booths in the Bhopal parliamentary constituency, resulting in well over 6,000 prizes, not to mention the bumper rewards. He mentioned that these gifts and prizes were being collected through corporate social responsibility (CSR). He elaborated that on polling day, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) and a volunteer would be stationed at each polling booth for the lottery.
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The election officer also emphasised that every booth would have a booklet of coupons, and the BLO and the volunteer would ensure that voters wrote down their names and mobile numbers and received a coupon after casting their votes, reported TOI. He also indicated that they would contact the voters and distribute their gifts after each draw.
Low voter turnout
This election season has been marred by a lower turnout in general. Of the 102 seats that went to polls in the first phase on April 19, a drop was recorded in voter turnout in 92 seats, while nine seats showed an increase.
The decline in vote share on these seats is 4.4 per cent, down from 69.9 per cent five years ago to 65.5 per cent in 2024.
As the comparison between 2014 and 2019 shows, the voter turnout was not only lower than in 2019 but also lower than in 2014 in some of the larger states such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Among smaller states, the voter turnout in 2024 was lower than in 2014.
The story continued during the second phase of voting as well. The voter turnout on April 26 was around 60.96 per cent till 7 pm in the 88 seats across 13 states and Union Territories.
As per Election Commission data, the turnout in these seats was a little over 72 per cent in 2019.
Voter turnout dipped further from 2019 by a couple of percentage points in Bangalore North, Central and South seats.
