Election Commission gets to voters through their kids in Mumbai

In a bid to increase Mumbai's till-now abysmal turnout, state polling officials, apart from using regular means, are targeting school and college students to spread awareness among adults around them ahead of D-Day on April 29

The Election Commission and the Collector offices of the city and suburbs, are trying everything in their power to ensure an unprecedented voter turnout on April 29. So keen is their determination that they have been catching school and college students and painstakingly explaining to them the importance of voting, so that they can go back and convince their parents to walk to the poll booth next Monday.

They are determined to increase it from 53 per cent in the 2014 elections, to at least 61 per cent this time. Apart from the regular posters, hoardings and jingles to attract citizens to vote, they have encouraged a 'selfie movement,' wherein they have urged citizens to put up their selfie on social media after voting, especially those voting for the first time.

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Aanganwadi workers have also been told to tell parents of the children they look after, to vote

Lessons on voting

The EC officials have also visited 1,600 schools and junior colleges in the city and suburbs to educate students about the importance of voting and to catch them at a young age.

Students have also been asked to accompany their parents to the voting centre on polling day, and click a selfie with them after they vote, and put it on social media. They feel this will ensure more voter turnout.

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Aanganwadis to BMC wards

Even aanganwadi workers are being made aware of the importance of voting and have been asked to ensure that the parents of children coming to them vote. A signature campaign has also been started across the ward offices of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for citizens. When they go there to pay bills etc, they are being asked to sign that they will vote. On an average, everyday, 200 to 300 people visit BMC offices for some work.

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Official speak

Subhash Dalvi, Officer on Special Duty, working for better implementation of the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation programme (SVEEP), said, "We also used sports for votes by organising cricket matches, wherein we connected with the youth to ensure that maximum people vote on April 29. We also organised medical camps where we sent a message about this. And now, since selfies are in, we are hopeful that students will take them with their parents proudly, and we will get more voter turnout. We have also created interesting jingles and posters for a wide reach."

Compost, cloth bags encourage voting

The collectors' office has also engaged self-help groups for awareness about importance of votes. One of the groups will distribute compost with stickers on it asking the person to vote. Another group has printed cloth bags with a message printed on it about the importance of voting. The EC has also put up posters across 1,000 odd locations with catchy slogans such as a 'Date with Vote' etc, said officials. The EC is also phoning the physically challenged and telling them about various provisions for them. The physically challenged can also contact the following numbers and they will be ferried to the polling booths: WhatsApp numbers: 9869515952, 8655235714 and the help desk: 022 26510020.

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