Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) The union cabinet Thursday approved the declaration of Jan 25 as the National Voters’ Day.

As part of the Voters’ Day celebrations, new voters of 18 years and more will be enrolled in all the polling station areas in the country.

They will be handed over the election photo identity card (EPIC) at felicitations to be organised in the polling station areas, an official release issued after a cabinet meeting said.

A badge, with a logo and slogan “Proud to be a voter - Ready to vote,” will also be given to the new voters, the release added.

In 1988, the constitution was amended to lower the voting age from 21 years to 18 years.

It was aimed “to provide the unrepresented youth of the country an opportunity to give vent to their feelings and help them become a part of the political process,” the release said.

However, it has been “noticed that the new voters - of 18 years and just above - are not getting enrolled in the electoral rolls in a big way year after year,” it pointed out. In certain cases, the level of their enrolment is as low as 20 to 25 percent, it added.

In this context, the “Election Commission has decided to take up a vigorous exercise to identify all eligible voters attaining the age of 18 years on Jan 1 every year, in all the 8.5 lakh polling station areas of the country,” the release said.

“This initiation is expected to give the youth a sense of responsible citizenship, empowerment, pride and participation, and inspire them to exercise their newly acquired franchise, when occasion arises,” it added.