As per latest amendments in the law, the Election Commission of India has further elaborated new guidelines for enrollment of first voters. Stating here this today Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Maneesh Garg, said that the qualifying dates for registration for new voters who has attained the age of 18 years on 1st of either of the months viz.
January, April, July or October were eligible to get themselves enrolled in the voters list instead once in a year as was the practice earlier. The changes have been made by the ECI to facilitate the first voters to get themselves enrolled in the voters list four times in a year for exercising their right to franchise during the elections.
In view of these amendments, those citizens who have attained the age of 18 years as on 1st April, 2024 can also register themselves as voters for casting their votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, he remarked. He was chairing the meeting of State Systematic Voters Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP) core committee held here today.
The new voters can also check their name in the voters list by downloading the Voters Helpline App (VHA) from Google play and the new voters need to register themselves by filling up the Form-6. The CEO emphasized upon the need to make the youth aware about the misconception that if they have voted for the Panchayat elections they were also automatically eligible to vote in Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha elections, which is not correct.
Such new voters need to register themselves in the electoral rolls by filling up FORM-6 as prescribed by ECI to obtain their EPIC (cards). The new voters can fill an online Form-6, while overseas voters need to fill Form 6A on Voter’s service portal https://voters.eci.gov.in or on Voter Helpline App (available on Google play store-Android or App store-iOS).
Detailed discussions were also held regarding formulating a comprehensive SVEEP strategy, Action Plan and monitoring of Voter awareness work throughout the State. The CEO said that under the guidance of Election Commission of India (ECI), the state election department was envisaging in engaging more youth and increase their turnout.
While emphasizing on the campaigns like Mission-414 (in which there was less than 60 percent voters turnout in 414 polling stations) 22 going to 72, (where voters turn out was less than 72 percent in LSE 2019), he said that Doordarshan and All India Radio should make programs and short reels for social and electronic media to disseminate the message of ‘No voter to be left behind’.
Besides, they should also make reels and record message of centenarian voters at least one in each district. He also deliberated on the need to engage the volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra’s and Self Help Groups (SHG) to educate the rural populace of the state and work on mission mode in such 414 polling stations and motivate the women in such other 08 constituencies where women voter turnout remained less in LSE, 2019, particularly in few assembly segments of Shimla, Chamba and Sirmaur.
OSD SVEEP Neeraj Sharma conducted the proceeding of the meeting.
Additional CEO, Daleep Negi and Neelam Dulta, representatives of the Doordarshan, All India radio, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Youth Service and Sports, Postal department, social media experts were also present on the occasion amongst others.