For 25-year-old Prakash and 11 other workers from Bihar, who are all working at an industry near Pollachi, it will not be possible to go to their home town to cast their vote.

“We need three days to go and another three days to return and have to spend at least two or three days there. We will lose 10 days’ salary. So, we are not going home to vote,” says Prakash. The micro units in Coimbatore employ at least 40,000 workers from other States and majority of them are not going to their States to cast their vote.

“It involves travel and they need money in hand for the transport, food, and to spend for their family. The units will provide just one day leave and for the other days, the workers will lose their wages. So, they do not prefer to go home for voting,” says J. James, president of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Tiny Enterprises.

However, most of the workers from Kerala always make it a point to go home for voting. Several labourers from nearby districts who have their votes in their home towns do go for voting, adds Mr. James.

In the case of textile mills, just 20 % to 30 % of the workers are from the local areas.

The rest are from other districts or States. Workers staying in hostels do not go for voting, says an industry source. In some mills, workers who went home for Holi have not returned. They usually return after a month. This year, with the elections, these workers have already informed the supervisors that they will return only after voting date, says the source.

The Election Commission of India is creating awareness on 100 % voting. There should be special arrangements to help the migrant workers vote, says the industry source. There could be mobile units or any other facility so that the migrant workers can vote from the city or town where they are working.

In cities such as Coimbatore, there are workers across sectors from other States and districts.

Mr. James said it should be affordable and viable for the workers to go home for voting. Otherwise, these votes would go waste and there cannot be 100 % voting, he says.