Presentation By

Rajendra Ratnoo, District Collector Kanyakumari

Democracy and Electoral ProcessDemocracy has to be Effective Electoral System is the backbone of a

democratic SystemWho can or should be allowed to vote Electoral Rolls- when to be prepared & revised

and how?Who can contest Election?Political parties and fundingActual Electoral Process

ELECTORAL PROCESS Three components

1. Pre election activities 2. Activities during election3. Post election activities

Role of election machinery in the processes Role of political parties in the processes.

Youth Population vs Electors (Age group 18-39)

Projected Census Population in Age Cohort 18-39

Elector in Age Cohort 18-39

INVOLVEMENT OF YOUTH

Reasons for lack involvement of youth in the electoral process

Apathetic attitude towards the political system

Disenchantment with politics and politician

Increasing alienation of the youth in the recent years due to technology and electronic gadgets

…Involvement of YouthRelation of political participation in general and of youth in

particular with the issues related to the basic electoral system

Who can vote & who can be voted?While youth can vote when they are 18 yrs but can not

be voted i.e. cant contest till they are 25 yrs for Lok Sabha and State Assembly

Lack of democratic political activities in the colleges/universities

Logistical issuesMigration of youth for educationProblem associated with inclusion of names

Electoral ReformsElectoral Reforms can be divided into two

parts-

1. Immediate and urgent arising out of certain laws enacted or the various judgments of Supreme Court and High Courts

2. Those reforms that have been proposed by various commissions and reports and are pending with the central Govt

Additionally the following measures can improve Youth InvolvementSpecial campaign at least one month before

the claims and ObjectionsUsing Youth as volunteers to register others in

electoral rollsInvolvement of the Colleges including the

teachers and NSS, NCCSocial networking sites such as Facebook,

Orkut and twitterSpecial website for Youth by ECI that can have

all information pertaining to electoral process.

Use of mass mediaFM radioPopular TV Channels/programmesNews papersUploading videos on U tube

Use of Folk MediaPuppetStreet playFolk songsFolk theatre

Interpersonal CommunicationSlogan writing

Elocution

Painting Competitions, in

SchoolsColleges

EVM TrainingTo be available in the College

Mock polls in the Colleges

Media campaign emphasizing that EVMs are tamper proof and also emphasizing that secrecy of Ballot is maintained

Involving Students in this campaign

or Voter Attitude & Behaviour?

Voting Behaviour- issuesIt is much more complex than we understandPeople may know why one should vote, still they

may not vote because of the attitude towards Political Class, Democracy or electoral process for that matter

Even if a person has a positive attitude towards the above including the Electoral Process, still he/ she may not vote! Why?

Every attitude does not translate into positive / desired behavioural outcome!

This is what is called KAP GAP!

Percentage of polling in Tamilnadu from 1960 to 2009

0102030405060708090

1960

1971

1980

1991

2001

2009

L iteracy

P ollingP ercentage

Literacy and Polling Percentage : High Literacy Districts

Literacy and Polling Percentage : Low Literacy Districts

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Dharmapuri Villupuram P erambalur

L iteracy

G E 2009P ollingP ercentage

Voter Education for whom?The previous analysis holds true mainly for

urban middle classes and upper classesWe have to have strong empirical evidence

based on research on as to who in the society does not turn out for voting and why?

The intervention strategies will be successful when based on sound scientific footing

Sometime vulnerability may be the reason for low voter turnover than lack of Education and awareness

Vulnerability and VotingPhysical ChallengeOld AgeGenderWeatherSocial DisadvantageSocial ConflictRemote and far off area and related

disadvantageVulnerability on account of numeric strength

coupled with poverty e.g NarikuravarsNomadic CharacterOut migration

Factors related inaccuracies in the Electoral RollsMany times it may be the carelessness or at times

mischief by Electoral staff responsible for revision of Rolls, and thereby depriving many voters of the right to franchise

Many a times voters do not know whether their names are registered or not

What is needed?A user friendly website A toll free helpline based on Interactive Voice

SystemSystem where replies can be obtained by a mobile

Voter Education through Intensive IEC ActivitiesSustain Voter Education Campaign at

National and State LevelProfessional media agencies to be engaged to

make appropriate campaign messages to impart knowledge and even look beyond knowledge aspect to bring about a desired change in the attitude and sustain the campaign till the election day to translate this increased knowledge and changed attitude into a responsible voting behaviour

A word of CautionThis campaign should be spearheaded by ECI, at

National and State levelsElection machinery should mainly see that the

Registration is done properly, Electoral rolls are error free and the pre poll preparations are good enough to build confidence of voters in the whole Poll Process - its neutrality and fairness

Canvassing for increased turn out for a particular group-youth or women may affect out come of polls!

Keeping in view the Lyndoh Committee’s Report

The Constitutional Mandate Article 326 of the Constitution (as after the 61

amendment in March 1989) provides for all those over 18 years of age to vote.

The Statement of Objects and Reasons said: ``… The present-day youth are literate and enlightened and the lowering of the voting age would provide to the unrepresented youth of the country an oportunity to give vent to their feelings and help them become a part of the political process. The present day youth are very much politically conscious. It is, therefore, proposed to reduce the voting age from 21 years to 18 years’’.