SHILLONG: The Election Department will launch ‘Mission Unite’ sometime in July to ensure maximum enrolment of voters, especially youths, ahead of the polls.
Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Kharkongor said the Election Commission was aiming at enrolment of 18-plus voters.
“We had started several unique awareness campaigns in higher secondary schools and colleges in the city in the past with an aim to woo young voters,” Kharkongor said.
He added that with Mission Unite, more participation of youths is expected. With the cut-off year for enrolment being January 2018, the Election Commission wanted maximum participation of voters in the next election. Out of over 30 lakh population in the State, the total number of voters is 17,19,469.
There are over 10 lakh voters in the age category of 18-35 and the percentage of voters within the age category of 18 to 19 is 3.4 (over 60,000 voters).
Kharkongor said that the Mission Unite campaign will help in enrolling more youths in the near future.
ERONet to be launched
The Election Commission has chosen Meghalaya among other states to launch ERONet, an online facility to accept forms for availing of EPICs.
Kharkongor said this will facilitate online acceptance and disposal of forms.
He added that this will also ease the hearings for claims and objections.
“The pattern is like the application for passport to ensure speedy disposal of the citizens’ needs,” he added.
