Poll panel casts its net wide, but the catch isn't that big

From paragliders to special stalls at the local shopping arcade and flash mobs, the concerned citizens of Bangalore and the Election Commission (EC) have tried every trick in the book to get people to enrol their names in the electoral list. 

The results of their efforts will be known on May 5, when the State goes to polls. That day, it will be clear whether the middle and upper classes have stopped being apathetic towards the political system or whether they continue to be away from the polling booth.

While the authorities and people who have invested their time in the endeavour to enrol Bangaloreans claim their awareness campaigns are a success, the ground reality suggests that it was not all that easy for people to enrol their names. The youngsters, on their part, are not ready to walk the extra mile to involve in the democratic process.

On January 28, the electoral rolls suggested that Karnataka had a voting population of 4.18 crore. As on April 7, they show an addition of eight lakh citizens who can exercise their right on May 5.

For Sangeetha C U, a first-time voter, it was a blessing in disguise when she found that a concerned citizen was conducting an awareness programme and was ready to take her application for enrolment to the ward office on her behalf. 

“I was hoping to get the voter’s ID and enrol myself in the list last year. As we moved out of our previous house last year, my father suggested that I wait. Luckily, a concerned citizen came to my college and collected my application form,” said the 19-year-old second year student from Vijaya College. Sangeetha is hopeful that this time, she will cast her vote in Rajarajeshwarinagar.

However, for Anandateertha, the concerned citizen, Sangeetha was among the few who came forward to fill in the applications for enrolment. 

“ Most students are unaware or are apathetic towards the election process. They simply do not have the awareness about what constitutes a ward or an Assembly constituency,” he said. He is hopeful that like-minded people will come forth to conduct awareness campaigns for the citizens to enrol their names in the electoral list in future. As on April 7, Anandateertha, on his own, was able to collect just 1,000 applications of students to be submitted to the EC. It is estimated that there are no less than two lakh students who have attained the age of 18, but do not have a voters’ ID in the State.

Flawed electoral roll

At the other end, agencies like CIVIC believe that even if a citizen is ready to enrol his or her name, the process of addition to the electoral roll itself is so flawed that people lose interest. “Earlier, the authorities were not even accepting the application forms, without the proof of residence, denying large sections of society the right to vote. The Election Commission must conduct field visits of the voters’ residences,” said Kathyayani Chamaraj, founder of CIVIC.

According to her, the system has been so ‘unresponsive’ towards the citizens that enrolling names on the list has become a nightmare. The Malleswaram voter registration office has only a single personnel with the responsibility of informing citizens, scrutinising and accepting the four different forms prescribed by the Election Commission for citizens to enrol their names, delete them or make changes. 
“Each form has its own purpose. We cannot be telling every person what to do. At best, we can give them the basic details of what to fill where,” the official said. He works from 10 am to 5 pm. People have to wait for no less than 30 minutes for even the most minor changes in their names and addresses.

The website of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) also has its share of flaws. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Smartvote representative P G Bhat said: “Despite the best of the CEO’s efforts, there have been several issues pertaining to online application forms. The software developer has been unable to provide a clear reason for the technical glitches and the CEO’s office has been unable to correct them.” It is said that no less than two lakh people have applied online to get themselves enrolled.

Nonetheless, the initiatives have seen a huge response from citizens who have tried to enrol themselves.

As the convenor for the Bangalore Political Action Committee (B-PAC), Mohandas Pai, said: “If the five lakh people who have registered this time after the initiatives by the EC, B-PAC and Smartvote come to vote, they will transform the voting scenario in Bangalore.”