There are nearly 1 lakh new persons in the district qualified to vote of whom only 17,000 have registered and have their names enrolled in the voters’ list.
This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra during the voters’ enrolment drive launched at Maharani’s PU College for Girls here on Thursday.
He called upon the students to download the voters helpline app (VHA) for registration and also create awareness among their neigbours and parents of the imperatives of getting enrolled.
Mr.Rajendra said the Election Commission has permitted the enrolment in advance of those who have completed 17 years, and hence the drive ‘’An Hour for Democracy’’ was launched across the district in association with the Department of Collegiate Education and Department of Pre University Education.
The DC said apart from enrolment by downloading the VHA, the eligible voters could also approach the nearest polling booth officers. Each student was urged to help enrol 20 new eligible voters.
The authorities will also have a special drive every Sunday to update and revise the voters’ list by including new names or deleting those who have died. The students were also urged to check the draft voters list to ascertain if their names have been included and continuously follow up till they find their names in the final list without any errors. Mr. Rajendra appealed to the students to eschew the negative view that their single vote cannot bring about any change and instead be positive as every vote counts in the democratic exercise. Apart from getting their names enrolled it was also important that they also cast their votes during the elections, he added.
Additional DC B.S. Manjunathaswamy, college principal, staff and students were present.