Selfie point in apartments, 14 icons to create awareness on voting

Mangaluru: The District Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee in Dakshina Kannada district has initiated activities to create awareness among voters, said Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (ZP CEO) Dr Anand K.

These initiatives include setting up selfie points in apartments, creating awareness about voter helplines and providing information about the electoral roll and polling stations.

Speaking to reporters at the DC's office, Dr Anand said apartment-centric campaigns will be taken up in Mangalore City South, Mangalore City North and Mangalore Assembly constituencies. "As many as 14 local icons, including actor Aravind Bolar Tabassum of Snehadeep have been roped in to create awareness among voters on the need to exercise franchise and ethical voting," he added. 

He said nine model polling stations will be set up in each Assembly constituency. "There are five sakhi stations managed by women staff, one PWD station managed by persons with disabilities, one youth station, one ethnic and one theme-based polling booth. Awareness programmes will be held targeting tourists at beaches," he added.

The CEO said SVEEP had identified 72 polling stations with low voter turnout during the previous LS polls, adding that micro plans for targeted campaigns in these areas had been planned. "Strategies, include engaging with voters, investigating the decline in voter participation and launching innovative initiatives with the help of 14 ambassadors," he added. 

In the 2019 LS polls, the district’s average polling percentage was 77.9%, while the state's average was 68.8%, Dr Anand said. "The polling percentage was less than the state average in 72 polling booths. SVEEP committee has been holding meetings with Resident Welfare Associations to motivate voters residing in apartments," he added.

District-level master trainers of the SVEEP programme have already trained taluk-level officials, who, in turn, will hold training in 19 hoblis of the district.

"The campaign has been launched in educational institutions to motivate first-time voters through Electoral Literacy Clubs and campus ambassadors. Separate awareness programmes will be held targeting vulnerable sections, including tribal communities like Malekudiyas, Koragas, transgender and others," he said.