When Kerala moves towards the election season, which will culminate in the assembly next year, election officials are on the mission to identify the reasons for the apathy of voters among young people and possible solutions.
Participation in the participation of voters for youth and a survey of election awareness to find out the reasons for perceived reluctance in the age group 18–30 to participate in the election process, said the main election officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar.
According to him, the results and proposals resulting from the survey are expected to help improve both enrollment and participation in the elections by young people.
“We started the survey six weeks ago. We are trying to understand the minds of youth in the age group at the age of 18-30 and why are not voting. The survey will remain open for about two months. Our goal is to obtain at least 50,000 answers.
The initial response to the questionnaire that has been distributed suggests a lack of interest and awareness of the election process, Kelkar said. At the same time, young respondents urged election officials to organize more interactive sessions and discuss and use university campuses and social media to address them, he said.
The steps are also taken to open election literature clubs on campuses that do not have and strengthen existing clubs, Kelkar said.
“We are trying to promote young people in the age group of 18–19 through clubs. We have already made a meeting with educational institutions in the districts. We will also talk to student organizations, population associations and management of self -balance shells,” he said.
The youth campaign is part of a larger exercise aimed at improving the registration of voters, especially among the sections that can face difficulties in the participation of election elections. Emphasis is placed on five sections, namely, especially vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG), planned caste community, people with disabilities (PWD), seniors over 85 years and transgender voters, according to Mr. Kelkar.
“Our intention from the beginning was that we should have 100% entry in certain categories, which is possible,” he said.
As part of the Systematic Education and Participation Program (SVEEP) of the voter (SVEEP), the Office of Mr. Kelkar will affect government authorities, including social care departments, social justice and income to address these sections. It is important to ensure that no one is left out of the election process, he said.
Published – 29. May 2025 17:06
