Voter Express flagged off in Hailakandi election district

March 11: As part of voter awareness campaign, the District Election Officer, Hailakandi, Megh Nidhi Dahal, on Wednesday flagged off the ‘Voter Express’ from his office campus in Hailakandi town. The vehicle will spread awareness about the importance of taking part in the electoral process besides making a mass appeal to people to vote.

Dahal suggested people to use their right to franchise when he flagged off the Voter Express vehicle. The campaign is a part of an extensive series of activities launched under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP).

Voter Express has been decorated with specially designed posters, slogans, appeals and motivating couplets.
The vehicle also displays information on postal ballot facility available for 80 plus citizens, persons with disabilities and COVID suspect or affected persons, who can cast their vote from home, besides motivational messages. As the vehicle travels across the district, citizens will be encouraged to click photographs with it and upload it on social media, for further spreading the message.

As of now, EVM/VVPATs hands-on familiarisation camps have been organised by the district administration. The vehicle will crisscross the district covering an area of 711 polling stations in the next 15-18 days. Of the total polling stations, 55 polling stations fall in adjoining Cachar district. As part of SVEEP activities, a group of artists are also spreading the message of ethical and informed voting through street plays and skits. Besides, specially designed material on ethical and informed voting will also be distributed by concerned officials.

“As part of voter awareness campaign, the Hailakandi election authorities have decided to utilise the Voter Express to carry motivational messages urging voters to exercise their franchise,” said Sabir Nishat, District Information and Public Relations Officer. To increase the polling percentage, voter awareness programmes targeting women voters have been taken up. “The target is to achieve 90 per cent poll this time, ” said a senior official engaged with the election process. The district has 6.59 lakh people. Of them, 4,97,450 people are registered voters. During 2016 Assembly elections 79.87 per cent polling registered in the district while there was 79.48 per cent turnout in 2019 Parliamentary elections.

“Several programmes on voter awareness through SVEEP have been already conducted, including unveiling of the sparrow as mascot and erecting selfie corners to enhance voter turnout,” added Nishat. District police superintendent Pabindra Kumar Nath said that all arrangements are made to ensure polling in a peaceful manner.