Political parties, including the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Opposition, might be trying to woo old and new voters alike to swing the results for the Lok Sabha elections their way. However, there seems to be a long way to go when it comes to impressing the first-time voters, if the data from Election Commission of India (ECI) is anything to go by. Less than 40 per cent of voters between the age group of 18-19 have registered to vote this time across India and data from some states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi have shown even lower percentage of enrolled voters, a report in The Times of India cited data from the ECI.
Social media to the rescue?
The poor numbers among India's first-time voters have prompted the ECI to harness the power of social media to encourage youngsters to exercise their voting rights with the launch of their 'Turning 18’ campaign.
The poll body aims to inspire the youth with the theme of ‘Chunav Ka Parv, Desh Ka Garv’ to bolster numbers to participate in the 'festival of democracy', a PIB release said.
As of yet, only 1.8 crore new voters out of 4.9 crore have registered on the ECI website. However, the polling body is hopeful of the numbers rising as they aim to make inroads with their campaigns, the report said.
The best & the worst
A glance at the data showed that the most number of first-time voters were in Telangana -- over 8 lakh youngsters between the age group of 18-19 registered to vote out of a projected 12 lakh from the said age group. Bihar seems to have fared the worst with a mere 9.3 lakh enrolled from a potential 54 lakh voters in the age group, TOI said.
Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh also have a solid 60 per cent and slightly above mark when it comes to first-time voters enrolled.
The national capital, sadly saw just a meagre 1.5 lakh out of 7.2 lakh first-time voters registered.
Curbing low turnout, fake news
The Election Commission recently said that it has identified 266 parliamentary constituencies, including 215 in rural areas, with low voter turnout and has planned targeted intervention to enhance voting percentage in the upcoming polls.
Apart from the 'Turning 18' campaign, EC's 'You are the One' drive seeks to recognise importance of different stakeholders in the election process, including polling machinery, in ensuring that no voter is left behind.
To curb fake news regarding the Lok Sabha elections, the ECI has also introduced the 'Verify Before You Amplify', seeking to bust fake news and urge people to exercise caution and diligence before sharing information on social media platforms.
While voters apathy has been a consistent cause of concern for the ECI, the reasons have been perceived to be manifold, ranging from lack of relatable or young leaders to the challenge of paperwork to lack of awareness about issues.