Ahead of Assembly polls, ECI brings new initiatives includes EPIC kit, pocket-size Voters’ guide and Minimum level of SVEEP activities at booth

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The process of Assembly polls for Uttar Pradesh is going to begin with the issuance of notification for the First Phase on Friday. Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in seven phases from 10th of February to 7th of March. Polling for Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa will be held on 14th of February in a single phase. Manipur will vote on 27th of February and 3rd of March in two phases. The counting of votes will be taken up together on 10th of March. A total of 690 Assembly Constituencies in Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh will go to polls this time. A total 18 crore 34 lakh electors will take part in this election out of which eight crore 55 lakh are women. They also include 24 lakh ninety thousand first-time electors registered in the five poll-bound states.

In this context, it may be mentioned that free, fair, accessible, inclusive, transparent and ethical elections build a truly participative democracy by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision during elections. Working on the premise of ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’, the Election Commission strives relentlessly to ensure participative, inclusive, inducement free and accessible elections in the world’s largest democracy through the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Programme. The programme places its focus on the voters- the central actors of democracy. Reaching out throughout novel initiatives like Electoral Literacy Clubs, Web Radio Hello Voters, Nationwide celebrations of National Voters’ Day, and mass mobilization of voters through 360-degree communication and door to door interventions have been the foundation of ECI’s voter outreach efforts.

In view of the current situation of the pandemic, special outreach activities are being implemented to enhance voter awareness and publicize the mandatory safety protocols during elections. Contactless and digital mediums for all outreach activities like Television, Print, Digital Media and other media vehicles are being utilized as a part of overall 360-degree communication towards voter education, motivation and facilitation.

In order to educate & facilitate voters, ECI has brought in some new initiatives for the upcoming Assembly Elections. These initiatives include an EPIC kit for the newly registered voters, a pocket-size Voters’ guide to every household, polling booth being the focal point of communication and a Minimum level of SVEEP activities at every booth. As voter registration and reception of EPIC card is the point of first formal interaction of newly registered voters, a need was felt to standardize the experience and give a personalized touch to the EPIC delivery. All CEOs/DEOs, therefore, have been directed to hand over/deliver/courier this EPIC SVEEP kit to newly registered electors, which contains a personalized letter to the elector along with a voter guide and voters’ pledge. The Election Commission has also developed a pocket-size version of the voter guide, for ease of information access to electors. This pocket-size booklet provides important information for voters regarding location of Polling Stations, election-related queries, searching of names in the voter list and COVID safety measures. The voters’ guide would be provided to every household.

Revitalizing Electoral Literacy Clubs during COVID period through the use of online mode of communication is also a major focus of the commission. With regard to the same, Guidelines for Online Activities at ELCs have been shared with Chief Electoral Offices recently. Furthermore, with Booth being the focal point for SVEEP strategy, the commission has directed the states to strengthen Booth Level Action Plans and to conduct minimum level of SVEEP activities to inform and educate all voters. This includes explanatory information displays regarding EVM-VVPAT, Voter Registration, Ethical Voting and IT Apps at all Polling stations and crowded locations in the assembly constituency. Polling Stations will be given a festive look through minimum level of décor. Low voter turnout Polling Stations have been identified with reasons for the turnout as well as analysed and targeted interventions have been planned in accordance to meet the objective of ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’.

With the objective to reaching out to Women Voters, ‘All-Women Managed Polling Stations’ is an initiative committed towards gender equality and greater participation of women in the electoral process. These booths, which are set up in each constituency, comprise all-woman staff including security. Similarly, PwD-managed Polling Stations are to be developed in each Assembly Constituency to give further fillip to accessible and participative elections.

Voter Facilitation Centres will be active in the states to facilitate voters. Besides this, Voter Helpline Number 1950 and Voter Helpline App would also cater to voter’s queries. An SMS facility is available in 1950 to enable electors to verify their names on the Electoral Roll.

Subsequent to Supreme Court’s order, criminal antecedents of the contesting candidates are to be made available to the voters. In this regard, a dedicated multimedia campaign is proposed to generate awareness amongst the voters to encourage informed and ethical voting.

Further, keeping in view the ongoing COVID pandemic, SVEEP activities are planned to inform and educate voters towards COVID Safe elections and COVID Appropriate Behaviour during elections.