Corporate institutions have got important role to play to increase vote percentage

Ranchi: Chief Electoral Officer L Khiyangate said that to ensure maximum voter turnout in the Lok Sabha polls the Election  Commission of India has issued various directions according to which for voter awareness under sweep many programs are being conducted. Addressing a training programme organised for the corporate Institutions and industries and master trainers here he asked them to make the voters electorate and create awareness among them as part of their CSR activities. He said that under CSR there
is a provision to spend the money on education and this can be done for the education of the voters.

Mr Khiyangate said that the nodal officers and the master trainers after completing their training should train the local people and also in the industries trade unions and local Institutions regarding participation in the election process and hoped that with the help of industries and corporate Institutions this time the voting percentage would increase. Additional chief electoral officer Vinay Chaubey said that the industries and corporate Institutions under sleep should run voter awareness campaigns so that voting percentage can be increased. He said that the EVM and VVPAT have been designed in such a manner that it cannot be hacked. He said that in this Lok Sabha elections M3 EVM is being used in which many new features including real-time vote cast have been included. He said that on the day of the elections the industrial and business establishment have to give up to their employees and such Institutions where work is very important then people should be allowed to cast their votes in shifts.

Additional chief electoral officer Manish Ranjan said that sweep is not only a medium for publicity advertisement or people contact but it is used for educating social mobilization and also serves as a strong medium for participation. He asked the officials of the corporate sectors to ensure that this time at least the voting percentage increases by 10% and the gap between male and female voters is also reduced and participation of youth in the election process is increased. He suggested that awareness campaigns should be held in the local Markets and such areas which have been identified for low voter turnout and sweep programs should be intensified to attract the young voters.

He said that special facilities would be provided for the youth Divyang woman and old age voters at the polling booths and said that this time the polling booths have been made in such a manner so that the voters have to move only one km and said that to ensure that the voters do not face any more trouble the voter slip would be delivered in their homes.