Survey in progress to identify reasons for voter apathy among youth
As Kerala moves towards an election season which will culminate with the Assembly elections next year, election officials here are on a mission to identify the reasons for voter apathy among young people and possible solutions.
A youth voter participation survey is under way to find out the reasons for the perceived reluctance in the 18-30 age group to participate in the election process, Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar said.
It is expected that the results and suggestions emerging from the survey will help to improve both enrolment and participation in the elections by young people, according to him.
'We started the survey six weeks ago. From our side, we are trying to understand the minds of the youth in the 18-30 age bracket and why they are not coming to vote. The survey will remain open for around two more months. Our aim is to get at least 50,000 responses. So far we have received 6,500 to 7,000 responses,' Mr. Kelkar, who took charge as CEO, Kerala, in December 2024, told The Hindu.
Initial responses to a questionnaire that was circulated suggest a lack of interest and awareness about the election process, Mr. Kelkar said. At the same time, young respondents have urged election officials to organise more interactive sessions and discussions and use college campuses and social media to reach out to them, he said.
Steps are also being taken to open electoral literacy clubs on campuses that do not have them and strengthen existing clubs, Mr. Kelkar said.
'We are trying to promote enrolment of youngsters in the 18-19 age group through the clubs. We have already conducted a meeting with educational institutions in the districts. We will also be talking to student organisations, residents' associations and the managements of self-financing colleges,' he said.
The campaign among the youth is part of a larger exercise meant to improve voter enrolment, especially among sections that may face difficulty in electoral participation. Here, the focus is on the five sections, namely, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), Scheduled Caste communities, persons with disabilities (PwD), senior citizens above 85 years, and transgender voters, according to Mr. Kelkar.
'Our intention from the beginning has been that we should have 100% enrollment of certain categories, which is possible,' he said.
As part of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, Mr. Kelkar's office is liaising with government departments, including the departments for SC Welfare, Social Justice and Revenue, to reach out to these sections. The important thing is making sure that no one is left out of the electoral process, he said.
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