Solan: Youth dither on getting voter ID

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, April 9

The youth, who have attained the age of 18 years, are lax in enrolling themselves as voters.

As against the projected population of 20,000 in the 18-19 age group, barely 50 per cent have enrolled themselves as voters this year in Solan district. New voters can be enrolled till May 4 before the notification of elections.

The district administration has been creating awareness in private universities as well as other educational institutions like Industrial Training Institutes to encourage the youth who have attained the age of 18 years to enrol themselves as voters.

“The projected population of youth in the 18-19 years age group is around 20,000 in Solan district. As many as 9,230 youth have been enrolled as voters this year though awareness campaigns are being organised by the district administration to create awareness among the youth to come forward and enrol as voters,” informed Ajay Yadav, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Solan. Maximum of 2,402 youth were enrolled in Arki Assembly segment followed by 1,752 in Kasauli, 1,729 in Solan, 1,717 in Nalagarh and 1,629 in Doon Assembly segment.

“With annual examinations underway in the government colleges, the awareness campaign would be undertaken after April 20 there. We expect to enhance our enrolment up to 18,000,” informed Yadav.

With a large chunk of the youth belonging to this age group taking coaching in other cities, they have failed to enrol themselves as voters.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 2.04 per cent of the electors in this age group had enrolled themselves as voters out of the 3.23 per cent voters in this age group.

The EC has been specially focusing on enhancing the enrolment of this key section in the last several years. Online enrolment has been facilitated by the EC to enable the young eligible voters to exercise their right to vote.

Situation in solan

As against population of 20,000 in the 18-19 age group, barely 50 per cent have enrolled themselves as voters in Solan district.