The age old process of electing representatives in the Lok Sabha has apparently failed to find favour with the youngsters in Punjab. More than 70 percent young voters are yet to be enrolled even though the elections are less than three months away.

Expressing concern at the “big gap”, the state election authorities claimed that all out efforts are being made to reach out to the young voters, and wooing them to enrol themselves as voters.

The state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju maintained that against the expected figure of about nine lakh first-time voters, that is between the age-cohort of 18-19 years by January 1, 2019, only 2.46 lakh have been registered as voters so far. In all, Punjab has 2.01 crore voters.

Indicating that there was “gap of information” that is keeping the eligible youngsters to become voters, Raju said that various activities, under the Systematic Voter Education and Voter Participation (SVEEP), is being carried out across the state to woo the state’s youth, not only to register, but also to cast their votes.

Raju informed The Pioneer that under SVEEP, house-to-house contact is being made to indentify the first time voters through the Block Level Officers (BLOs), “they can register through the online portal as all youngsters are internet savvy”.

“Besides, they have an option to fill the form personally and physically submit. Other than that, we also have a toll free number 1950, through which one can make a request and the concerned BLO would reach out to get them register,” he said.

Moreover, election panel has also collaborated with the educational institutions, and youth organisations like NYKS, NSS, NCC and others to particularly tap the new voters in the age group of 18-19, promote greater awareness among them youth and students about electoral process and to seek their assistance in facilitating voter registration.

If that is not enough, the state has as many as 6,000 electoral literacy clubs to engage students in schools and colleges and even rural communities through interesting activities and hand-on experience to sensitise them in their electoral rights and familiarise them with the electoral process of registration and voting.