Gujarat officials to send over 2 mn invites to voters to increase turnout

Election authorities in Gujarat will dispatch more than 20 lakh invites to voters, particularly women, across the state in their attempt to increase voter turnout in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, officials said on Friday.

The initiative will target over 13,000 polling stations where the difference between men and women voters remains at over 10 per cent, and where the overall voter turnout was less than 50 per cent during the last legislative elections, an official release said.

Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer P Bharathi will extend the invitation to about 20.3 lakh voters, mainly women, urging them to participate in the ensuing general elections, it said, adding that families will be requested to vote together.

The 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.

In the 2019 parliamentary elections, Gujarat registered a voter turnout of 64.11 per cent, compared to the national average of 67.40 per cent.

The Chief Electoral Officer has appealed to women voters to take time out of their busy schedules to vote with their families and inspire others to do the same through these invitation cards, said the release.

In addition, District Election Officers have been instructed to conduct Chunav Pathshalas' at all polling stations to discuss the reasons for low voter turnout and to make efforts to ensure maximum voter participation, it said.

"Street meetings are being organised by Asha workers, Anganwadi workers, Booth Level Officers, school principals, talatis, gram sevaks, non-political social leaders of villages and members of self-help groups under Chunav Pathshalas, it added.