Out of the 1,722 polling stations in Goa for the 2022 state assembly polls, 100 will have only women as staff, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said here on Wednesday, adding that the decision to have women on some polling booths was taken in order to boost their participation in the electoral process.
Chandra also said that the objective of the Commission is to ensure maximum participation of new voters.
"Around 100 polling stations will be managed only by women to boost their participation so that they can feel empowered and come with confidence to vote. This is the first time such a large number of polling stations will be managed by women," Chandra told a press conference in Panaji.
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"Our endeavour is to ensure participation of maximum voters including new voters, women voters and disabled voters and senior citizens," he also said.
An Election Commission of India team led by Chandra is in Goa to review preparedness for the upcoming assembly polls.
"Along with that four to five (polling stations) will be managed by PwDs (persons with disabilities), 491 divyang mitras will be appointed among government officials to guide the divyang voters and they will make awareness to those persons," Chandra also said.
The CEC also said that around 9,000 PwD voters, 30,000 voters who are 80 years plus and 298 service voters have been mapped in the coastal state.
"The total number of voters is going to be 11.5 lakh as on date, the final number will be published when the exercise is completed and the roll is published on January 5," Chandra also said.
Chandra said that the maximum number of electors per polling station had been reduced from 1,500 to 1,000.
"As a result we will have to set up more polling stations and already 60 new polling stations have been created and now there are 1,722 polling stations in the whole of Goa," Chandra said.
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