Election Commission of India to work together With Civil Society

Organisations on Inclusive voting and greater electoral participation

The Election Commission of India and Civil Society Organisations have decided to work together on inclusive and greater participation of people in the electoral process. This was decided during a two-day consultation ECI held with a range of Civil Society Organizations in New Delhi concluded yesterday. The consultation also came up with recommandations on the challenges faced by Election Commission in meeting gender gap, fighting urban apathy, overcoming youth disconnect, inclusion of marginalised and weaker section and promoting ethical and informed voting. The Consultation also identified areas in which CSOs can extend electoral services support to election machinery at the grassroots level.

Receiving the recommandations, Chief Election Commissionner of India, Shri V S Sampath said that the CSOs can play an effective role in supporting ECI efforts in enrolment and also in turnout of voters. CEC said that the Commission would seriously examine the recommandations for implémentation after wider consultations with state Chief Electoral Officers.

Dr. Nasim Zaidi, Election Commissioner, said, there is a strong need for collaboration with CSOs for information dissemination and sustained Voter education to bring about actual behavioural change . Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Country Director, UNDP, underlined UNDP support to the ECI-Civil Society collaboration, while describing it as a unique achievement and a global model.

The recommendations from the Consultation was presented to the Commission by Shri Akshay Rout, Director General, ECI. The consultation was organised by the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Division of the Commission in association with UNDP India. 40 CSOs from across the country participated in this national consultation.