Page 60 - voice-international-oct2022

Events

been present physically to experience
the efforts taken by ECI to ensure
transparent, free, fair, participative,
inducement free, and safe elections. He
talked about the scale of elections in
India and the transparency efforts like
randomization of polling officials as well
as voting machines. He also informed
the role of general, police, special, and
expenditure observers. He highlighted
the role of technology and various mobile
applications developed by ECI to provide
five states with 183.4 million electors across 690 facilitation as also enhance the voting experience.
Assembly Constituencies. He highlighted the Anup Chandra Pandey, Election Commissioner
security measures adhered to stringently in the field, of India enlightened the participants on the number
during the poll process in the wake of the Omicron of general, service, PwD, women, and senior
variant of the Covid-19 pandemic. The maximum electors in these elections. He informed about the
number of voters was decreased from 1500 to safety precautions by ECI including vaccination
1250 at each polling station and polling hours were of the election officials deployed for election duty
increased by one hour. Special safety protocols declaring them as ‘frontline workers’. Precautionary
were desired for those quarantined. Revised broad booster doses against the Covid-19 virus were also
guidelines were issued in the wake of the omicron administered to the eligible election officials before
variant and the Commission focussed on graded election duty He highlighted the landmark decision
responses. He also addressed the need to share to extend the postal ballot facility to all voters
experiences on managing elections during the who are more than 80 years of age, persons with
pandemic and learn from each other. disabilities, and those who are Covid-19 positive/
Sushil Chandra pointed out that ECI believed suspect and under home/ institutional quarantine.
that every vote is important and no voter is to be “Detailed protocols were devised and
left behind and hence all efforts organized by ECI implemented to distribute forms to senior citizens
were geared towards ensuring high voter turnout. at their homes and get them collected within five
He informed that over 11 million new voters were days which helped in not only ensure safe elections
added for the ongoing elections in the five states. for PwD and senior citizens but also increased
Postal ballot facility to senior citizens and PwD their participation as they could now vote from the
voters has taken ECI literally at the doorstep comfort of their homes”, he said.
of voters and consistent efforts have led to the Central to this entire edifice was the Voter- she/
enthusiastic participation of women voters in these he is the ultimate touchstone for all our endeavors
elections as compared to their male counterparts. and initiatives. Inspired by the voter of India, the
For instance, in Uttarakhand, female voter turnout theme for National Voters ‘ Day 2022 celebrated
was 67.2% as compared to 62.6% male voter on January 25 was ‘Making Our Elections Inclusive,
turnout; Goa recorded 80.96% female turnout while Accessible and Participative’. The Commission
male turnout was 78.19%. leaves no stone unturned to reflect the theme in the
While addressing the participants Rajiv Kumar, conduct of each election and share it globally for co-
Chief Election Commissioner of India, mentioned learning and strengthening democracy worldwide.
that IEVP 2022 was the third version of the online
format of IEVP. He spoke about the physical version Dr. Aarti Aggarwal
of IEVP and wished that all participants could have Sr. Consultant, ECI

60 | VoICE International | October 2022