Each single vote is a thread that weaves collectively the material of our democratic society. Nonetheless, what India faces at the moment is voter apathy or indifference of the citizens. To strengthen the democratic course of, increasingly more individuals should come ahead to vote, as additionally encourage and inspire others to take action. As Bharat stands on the cusp of a important inflection level, and with the graduation of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, lively participation in elections, notably from the youth, is important for a vibrant democracy.
Stories say roughly 297 million eligible voters didn’t vote within the basic elections to the Lok Sabha in 2019. This staggering determine highlights the size of the issue. Furthermore, elections in numerous states have highlighted clear tendencies of city indifference in direction of the electoral course of. Taken collectively, these components name for focused interventions and collaborative efforts.
What’s a trigger for concern is that lower than 40 per cent first-time voters are mentioned to have registered for the Lok Sabha polls, with Bihar standing on the backside rung of the ladder — solely 9.3 lakh first-time voters are reported to have enrolled within the state which has a possible 54 lakh voters. Solely 17 per cent of the 18–19-year-olds have registered to vote in Bihar and 23 per cent in Uttar Pradesh.
Chattisgarh, however, has a extra satisfying fee of registration at 54 per cent within the case of first-timers. Telangana has recorded a powerful 67 per cent whereas neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is barely behind at 50 per cent, Kerala has a mere 38 per cent registration of first-timers whereas Delhi, the nationwide capital and nerve-centre of politics, has a low 21 per cent fee of registration. This can be a very unhealthy signal on the earth’s largest democracy.
With regards to voter turnout, the voting proportion in Uttar Pradesh was a low 59.11 per cent within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Out of the whole 50 rural parliamentary constituencies throughout 11 states recognized with decrease voter turnout than the nationwide common in 2019, 40 constituencies are from each the states of UP and Bihar (22) and (18) respectively. Of the 50 Lok Sabha constituencies with the bottom voter turnout within the 2019 basic elections, 17 have been discovered to be in our metros, mirroring a rising pattern of city apathy.
Forward of the polling within the ongoing basic elections 2024, the Election Fee of India (ECI) accelerated efforts to reinforce voter turnout, drawing up a roadmap geared toward enhancing voter engagement and participation in recognized city and rural constituencies. It launched a slew of initiatives which embrace officers reaching out to voters in a focused method.
The ECI spelt out a three-pronged technique of offering facilitation at polling stations like queue administration, sheltered parking in congested areas; focused outreach and communication; and involvement of important stakeholders like RWAs, native icons and youth influencers to influence individuals to return to polling stations, amongst a number of others. It additionally directed officers to organize a booth-wise motion plan for enhanced participation and attitudinal change. It has additionally requested the authorities to behave in a fashion that instils satisfaction among the many voters in taking part within the democratic festivities.
Self-motivation is the important thing. The authorities are doing every thing of their energy to inspire voters and inculcate a way of satisfaction and duty in them. For example, the Systematic Voters’ Schooling and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme has a lot of measures to result in voter consciousness. This contains rolling out public transport and sanitation automobiles carrying important election messages, incorporating voter consciousness messages into utility payments for widespread dissemination, collaborating with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and voter consciousness boards, and internet hosting informative classes at standard public areas reminiscent of parks, markets, and malls, amongst others.
Leveraging the ability of social media platforms for in depth voter outreach and engagement is one more key initiative undertaken by the ECI whose theme of “chunav ka parv, desh ka parv” is predicted to spice up voter turnout. The ECI has undertaken a brand new initiative of establishing polling stations inside gated communities and multi-storeyed housing societies in city areas, the place there was low voter turnout up to now. Built-in multimedia campaigns and focused initiatives like #MeraVoteDeshKeLiye are anticipated to yield optimistic leads to the upcoming basic elections.
Voter apathy, particularly among the many youth, is a symptom of a deeper malaise in our system. When residents disengage themselves from the electoral course of, they routinely enable others to dictate the course of their lives. The core precept of democracy is lively participation and a system constructed on the precept of collective decision-making. In the end, the need of the individuals ought to information the actions of their representatives. But, when giant segments of the inhabitants abstain from voting, the legitimacy of your entire democratic course of comes into query.
Voter apathy creates a fertile floor for injustice and inequality to take root and perpetuates a cycle of disenfranchisement. To interrupt free from this cycle which imperils the democratic system, we should recognise the ability inherent in each vote. Every vote displays an announcement of perception within the democratic beliefs upon which our society is constructed.
I enchantment to all my countrymen, notably the youth of the nation, to take part actively within the democratic course of. This can be a time to return collectively to make sure that democracy stays vibrant and inclusive. It’s a time to reaffirm our dedication to the democratic course of. Allow us to stand united in our resolve to safeguard the rules of democracy and construct a future that displays the need of the individuals. We should do not forget that voting just isn’t solely our proper, but additionally our duty.
The author is the previous Vice-President of India