Chandigarh:
In a bid to transform the solemn act of voting into a celebratory affair, the Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana Anurag Agarwal has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative ahead of the Lok Sabha General Elections – 2024. Departing from conventional outreach methods, this time the Commission has decided to send out wedding-style invitations to voters across the state, turning polling day into a joyous occasion akin to a festive nuptial ceremony. This unique approach aims not only to elevate civic participation but also to infuse a sense of enthusiasm and community spirit into the electoral process.
Divulging more details in this regard, Anurag Agarwal said that with the ambitious goal of achieving a remarkable 75 percent voter turnout, this pioneering initiative is set to redefine the way elections are perceived and experienced in Haryana. Voting is to be held in the sixth phase in the state on May 25 and notification for the elections will be issued on April 29. The voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 25, he shared.
Voters are taking an oath of Chunav ka Parv Desh ka Garv
Anurag Agarwal said that to inspire voters to vote, oaths are being administered in every district, and citizens are enthusiastically participating in oath-taking ceremonies. Voters are taking an oath of Chunav ka Parv Desh ka Garv, stating, “We, the citizens of India, having abiding faith in democracy, hereby pledge to uphold the democratic traditions of our country and the dignity of free, fair and peaceful elections, and to vote in every election fearlessly and without being influenced by considerations of religion, race, caste, community, language or any inducement”.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that the Commission has developed several mobile apps to empower voters digitally. Among these, the Know Your Candidate (KYC) and Voter Helpline apps are prominent. Through the KYC app, voters can obtain information about the candidates in their Lok Sabha constituency. They can even view any criminal background of the candidates, if any. Similarly, voters can download the Voter Helpline app to obtain information about their polling booths, he said.
Information about the queue at the polling center will be available through the Voter In Queue app
Anurag Agarwal said that to increase the voting percentage in urban areas, for the first time, the Voter In Queue mobile app has been developed for 30 assembly constituencies. Through this app, the voter will be connected with the BLO and the BLO will provide information to the voter about how many people are in line to vote at that time. Voters can come to vote according to their convenience as the crowd diminishes. He said that in previous elections, it was observed that sometimes voters, seeing the crowd at the polling center, would return without casting their vote, so this time the decision has been made to increase the voting percentage.
April 26 is the last day to register for voting
The Chief Electoral Officer said that the deadline for registration of new voters in the state is April 26, 2024, so if any eligible citizen has not yet obtained their voter card, they should get it immediately. He informed that so far, the number of registered voters in the state is 1,99,81,982. Among these, there are 1,06,04,276 male voters and 93,77,244 female voters. Additionally, there are 462 transgender voters registered.
