SVEEP strategy to ratchet up voter awareness in Hyd

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad district election authorities have strategically shifted towards comprehensive personnel training as part of the SVEEP (Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation) initiative to enhance voter participation in Greater Hyderabad in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The SVEEP programme in Hyderabad is actively engaging the public to increase voter awareness.

According to the Hyderabad District Election Officer (DEO), the SVEEP initiative aims to achieve the highest possible voter engagement in the elections. In a move towards a more informed and participative democracy, the SVEEP programme in Hyderabad focuses on educating the populace about their electoral rights and the profound impact of their votes. SVEEP activities aim to bolster voter awareness, which will play a pivotal role in engaging youth in the democratic process,” said Ronald Rose, Hyderabad DEO. The SVEEP programme was held to educate citizens and voters about the electoral process to increase their awareness and promote their informed participation. SVEEP is hosting workshops, interactive sessions, and awareness drives in Hyderabad to ensure that every voter is informed and ready to participate in the democratic process.

Students above 18 years old were asked to enroll themselves in electoral rolls. He highlighted the importance of SVEEP, motivated the students to cast their votes, and advised them to spread awareness about SVEEP and special camps among their family members and friends.

The DEO expressed concern over low voter turnout in Greater Hyderabad during the recently held Assembly elections and Parliamentary elections in 2019. Greater Hyderabad has been witnessing less than a 50 per cent voter turnout in elections. The officials were urged to step up their efforts to enhance voter turnout by adopting innovative approaches.

The officials conducted a booth awareness group meeting to discuss the reasons for the low voting percentage. Booth-level officer supervisors, booth-level officers (BLOs), and booth-level assistants of recognised political parties are focusing on the divisions where low percentages of voting were witnessed in the previous elections. “Voter mobilisation activities, such as walking to polling booths with young voters and other active voters to motivate those showing voter apathy, are being undertaken,” said Ronald Rose.

He stressed the need for meticulous booth-level planning, targeted interventions, and electoral literacy to achieve higher voter engagement. Proactive use of social media channels is crucial for effective SVEEP campaigns. The DEO said, “We are successfully conducting initiatives like college programmes and engagement with locals, which significantly boosted first-time voter enrollment in the State.”

According to the DEO, those who have yet to register as voters can do so before April 15. If already registered, they were advised to check their names in the present voter list. Special emphasis is being placed on reaching out to young first-time voters by engaging them in poll duties."