Election Commission to reach out to youths and women in Gujarat via Facebook, colleges, banks, dropboxes and sakhi mandals

By DeshGujarat News, Ahmedabad, 30 April 2012

To ensure maximum voting in Gujarat assembly election 2012, the district administrations across Gujarat will start ‘Systematic voters education and electoral participation (SVEEP)’ programme under which all those eligible to vote but absent in electoral rolls, are targeted to include in voters list. This drive will specially focus on inclusion of women and youth voters. As per the source in one of the district collector offices, some of the major steps to be taken under ‘SVEEP’ programme in Gujarat are following:

-College students will be given form no. 6(application form for inclusion of name in electoral roll) along with the college admission form.

-Election Commission’s page will be created on Facebook where details about forms submission, download facility etc will be available.

-Various banks will be asked to keep electoral forms and drop-boxes at their branches. One would be able submit the electoral form through drop-box.

-Women volunteers active in Sakhi mandal activities will be trained and handed over the responsibility to reach out to rural women voters and encourage them to fill suitable electoral form.

Facebook and Twitter

The Election Commission India for the first time organized a workshop on engagement with internet based social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs to attract youths to take part in the electoral process.

“The Election Commission of India will soon use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to attract youth to take part in the electoral process”, a commission statement said Friday.

“The workshop discussed modalities of the Election Commission of India’s engagement with internet based social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs, which is to commence very soon,” the statement said.