Assam: Nalbari district admin conducts drive to increase women voter turnout

We are also ensuring that there is no confusion among voters regarding their polling stations and other details, Deka added.

Assam's Nalbari district administration helmed by women officials is conducting a drive to increase voter turnout of female electors in the general elections.

Targeted awareness campaigns are being conducted in areas where women voter turnout was less in the previous Lok Sabha elections, Nalbari District Commissioner Varnali Deka told PTI on Friday.

She said that nearly 50 per cent of all urban polling stations in the district would be managed by women staffers in this election.

''The overall voter turnout in the district was over 80 per cent in the last Lok Sabha polls, but there was a gap of two per cent between male and female turnouts, which we looking to bridge this year,'' she said.

The male voter turnout in Nalbari was 84 per cent in 2019, while the female voter turnout was 82 per cent. The overall male and female voter turnout in the state were 81.75 per cent and 81.35 per cent respectively.

''We are conducting targeted activities based on data from polling stations where the women voter turnout was less. We are looking into the possible reasons in those specific areas and address those,'' Deka said.

About 50 per cent of the polling stations in urban areas in the district will be managed by women, from polling officials to security personnel, in another step to increase women's participation, the DC said.

A special awareness meeting for women as part of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme was also held in the DC's office on Thursday.

Besides Deka, Superintendent of Police Supriya Das and other women officials participated in the meeting.

Deka pointed out that a number of top officials in the district were women.

Besides Deka and Das heading the civil and police administrations, among other important positions held by women are that of additional DC, election officer, assistant commissioners and circle officers.

The DC said that along with encouraging more women participation, the administration is also working on creating awareness among first-time voters and vulnerable sections such as transgenders and sex workers.

''This is the first election after delimitation of constituencies in the state. We are also ensuring that there is no confusion among voters regarding their polling stations and other details,'' Deka added.

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