The Election Commission said that a committee will be set up to examine the issues of migrant voters, including exploring possibilities of remote voting after consultations with all stakeholders including political parties and electors.
Besides, to address voting concerns in urban areas, all central and state government departments, central and state PSUs and corporate entities with 500 plus employees will be asked to appoint a nodal officer to ascertain ‘leave availing but non-voting employees’.
Special voter education and electoral participation awareness sessions would be held for such non-voting members of these organisations, the poll panel said, while noting that under the Negotiable Instruments Act, the polling day is declared as a holiday for all workplaces with the primary purpose of facilitating voting by the employees.
A meeting of the Election Commission noted with concern the abysmally low voter turnout in some of the metropolitan/city areas despite the fact that polling stations are setup within 2km for any voter in urban areas.
It is kind of name and shame as people in poll going areas get a day’s off under the Negotiable Instruments Act with the primary purpose of facilitating voting by employees,” explained a senior functionary.
Announcing decisions taken at the meeting held earlier in the day, the panel said, Voters migrate from the place of their registration to cities and other places for education, employment and other purposes. It becomes difficult for them to return to their registered polling stations to cast their vote.
The Commission felt that time has come to explore possibilities of remote voting, maybe on a pilot basis. A committee would be set up to examine the issues of migrant voters. Given the fact that voters and political parties are the primary stakeholders, the wider consultation with all stakeholders including political parties would be started thereafter. Days after Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar undertook an hours-long trek to a remote polling station in Uttarakhand, the poll panel also decided to double the remuneration of polling officials going to such booths as early as three days before voting day.