Directions issues to bolster enrollment of Service Voters: CEO Delhi

Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr Ranbir Singh has directed all the District Election Officers (DMs) to bolster the process of enrolling young electors between the age brackets of 18-19 years and 20-29 years to address the issue of their under-representation in the electoral roll.

As per the CEO of Delhi, Singh wants all young people to come forward and become proud voters of our great democracy. DEOs have been further directed to improve the gender ratio in the electoral roll by enrolling all left out woman voters.

Necessary measures will be taken to spread awareness via various platforms of media during the ensuing special summary revision to promote and encourage both young electors and female electors to enrol as voters.

The CEO, Delhi has also directed the DEOs to meet some third gender voters to understand and address any difficulties being faced by them regarding enrolment and it must be ensured that they are duly assisted.

"PwD voters should similarly be facilitated to enrol as voters and also get marked at PwD voters in the electoral roll for availing various accessibility services during the election. Similarly, homeless citizens should also be facilitated so that no voter is left behind. In this regard, the support of NGOs and Civil Society Organisations may be taken.

CEO Delhi has called upon all DEOs, EROs, AEROs and BLOs to exercise due sensitivity and empathy towards all marginalized sections of citizens and assist them in getting enrolled as voters.

CEO, Delhi has further directed that all above the age of 80 and 100 electors must be verified and necessary correction/ deletion should be done to maintain an accurate list of such voters in order to provide suitable facilities to them during an election.

CEO, Delhi directed to clear the pendency of registration of service voters on the service voter portal.

DEO, New Delhi was advised to work in tandem with defence authorities in Delhi Cantt to facilitate the enrolment of left out service personnel residing in the Cantonment area.

CEO emphasized the need for facilitating the enrolment of overseas voters during this SSR-2022 by contacting their families in Delhi and explaining the online procedure of enrollment of Overseas electors.

"Dr Ranbir Singh has expressed concern regarding family splitting across polling stations and directed DEOs to take remedial action to assign the same polling station to the entire family.

CEO also directed the DEOs to verify the enrollment status in inter-state border areas in collaboration with the officers from the adjoining state and take immediate remedial action if any wrong or double enrollment is detected," said in the statement released.

Dr Ranbir Singh has directed that during pre-revision activities of SSR, all demographically similar entry (DSEs) Repeat Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) Logical errors, Non-standard EPICs, Null Photo, corrupt photos i.e. all errors identified either by software of the Commission or noticed by the electoral officials shall be rectified for with.

CEO Delhi informed that the ensuing SSR draft rolls shall be published on November 1, 2021, at each polling station location of NCT of Delhi for the convenience of voters. CEO, Delhi asked DEOs to publicise this with all possible means mentioning the name of the designated officer, his/her contact number, timing, duties etc.

"DEOs have been instructed that all Forms submitted by the citizens should be disposed of in a time-bound manner. It must be ensured that within three days after approval of a form the EPICs should be printed and dispatched," said in the release.

CEO Delhi also directed EROs to inspect their Voter Centres on daily basis. Additionally, SDM (Election) should visit every Voter Centre once a week and DEOs should visit every Voter Centre once a month.

"All DEOs to conduct the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign as per the directions of the Commission dated September 2. He emphasized that a multi-tier (Booth level, AC Level and District Level) SVEEP plan must be formulated with a view to taking the SSR Programme to every citizen," Singh directed.

For the booth level SVEEP plan, all BLOs of AC should be made aware of the SVEEP contents/material that should be communicated through RWAs and other communication modes to the electors residing in their parts.

Big hoardings, banners, posters may be placed at prominent places of ACs to catch the maximum attention of the common public.

At all designated places, banners/posters must be placed mentioning the name of the designated officer, contact no, timings etc.

"Vehicles provided to all 70 ACs should be wrapped with SSR contents beautifully and equipped with a sound system to play jingles so that movement of the vehicle automatically spread awareness regarding SSR-2022 in all corners of ACs," CEO Delhi added.

"Other activities like Nukkad Nataks may play a pivotal role in the mass mobilisation of electors including transgender, homeless, etc. Large selfie points may also be placed to make the SSR-2022 viral on the social media platform. District Icons may also be involved in a big way for this purpose," said in the release.

The CEO, Delhi exhorted all DEOs and EROs to fully achieve the objectives of the SSR as lay down by the Election Commission of India by mobilizing the electoral machinery as well as the left out voters of all categories.

"The SSR should be used as an opportunity to make the electoral rolls of all ACs inclusive and error-free," Dr Singh stated.

( With inputs from ANI )