Election panel strategises means to attract youths to poll processes

Ranchi: To improve the voting percentage of youngsters, particularly in the urban areas, the chief electoral officer’s (CEO) office in Jharkhand has begun efforts to revive the existing Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) in educational institutes and set up new ones on a priority basis ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state. The poll panel is currently preparing 600 master trainers for the job and will work in different districts along with the stakeholders to strengthen the ELCs to woo young voters.
For the purpose, a four-day special training to train the master trainers is currently underway in Dhurwa since September 20 which will conclude on 24, officials said on Thursday.
The state’s chief electoral officer K Ravi Kumar said, “The apathy of the urban youths towards the electoral process is a concern for us. We are laying special focus this time on them through various interventions to address this issue before the next elections.”
Talking to TOI, another official said currently, there are 382 ELCs in colleges and 2145 ELCs at school levels for students between classes 9 and 12. “However, there is a need to multiply the numbers of ELCs if we have to improve youth participation in the next elections,” he said.
He added that many existing ELCs are either non-operational or aren’t much active. “Hence, we have now decided to train master trainers, who will work at the district level with different stakeholders to revive, re-activate and set up new ELCs,” he said, adding that as per the figures, about 23 lakh young population are still out of the ambit of the voters’ list in Jharkhand. Another official added, “A special emphasis is also being laid to tap school students between classes 9 and 12, who will soon attain the voting age.”