|
Sequence of Activities of AP
Election Watch 2004
- Training of Trainers,
resource persons and volunteers
- Voter registration
and Electoral rolls revision
- Campaign against
criminalization
- Voter Awareness
campaign
- Debates between
candidates
- Montioring of
Polling Process
- Pre and Post
polling surveys
Some of the key activities
proposed to be undertaken as part of APEW'04 are outlined below:
I. Training of Trainers,
resource persons and volunteers
We have already
initiated the process of involving Lok Satta volunteers across the
state in the electoral rolls revision process, which was held between
27th November-5th December. From among them, we have trained 50 Senior-trainers
for the larger EW effort. We have conducted a 2-day training session
for the trainers (scheduled to be held in Warangal on the 20th and
21st of December). These trainers in turn will train 294 constituency
coordinators, one for each assembly constituency. We are also aiming
to train 80 -100 volunteers (total 25,000) in each assembly constituency
to implement various EW activities. The training of volunteers at
the grassroots level will be undertaken as part of the Active Citizen
Training programme.
II. Voter registration and
Electoral rolls revision
The foremost activity under the Election Watch programme is
verification of electoral rolls which assumes importance for
the following reasons:
- Many
eligible voters do not find their names in the electoral rolls.
- The electoral
rolls contain the names of persons who are either dead or
do not live in the area. It also contains bogus names and
names of children. There was an instance of 350 voters getting
registered with the same address. Because of these reasons,
bogus voting has become a common phenomenon.
- No individual
can oppose revision of electoral rolls. In fact everybody
will appreciate inclusion of names of eligible voters and
deletion of names of ineligible voters.
|
|
|
|
|
- Despite
periodic revision of electoral rolls,because of lack of proper
information to the public, lack of nderstanding by the public
on the procedure to be followed, because of work pressure
on the election machinery and political interference, the
electoral rolls are significantly flawed.
- The need
for getting the names of eligible voters included, and deletion
of names of ineligible voters does not require emphasis.
|
- Every
citizen has some understanding of the importance of ‘vote’.
As such it is possible to enthuse citizens to participate
and cooperate in the revision of the electoral rolls.
- Revision
of electoral rolls has a direct relevance to electoral reforms
and governance reforms. In the absence of proper electoral
rolls, elections become dubious and democracy gets diluted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Election
Commission has carried out a summary revision of voter rolls
across the country between the 27th November and 15th of December.
Volunteers of Lok Satta assisted the voters and officials in
the registration and revision process across AP. We are aiming
to set up help booths in at least 600 mandals spread across
the state, which will be manned by Lok Satta volunteers. This
effort will be undertaken entirely with volunteer support and
FDR funds.
See :
|
|
Village
/Polling Station Report on
Verification of Electoral Rolls
|
|
|
But
the huge number of 'new-voter' applications received (more than 50
lakhs across AP) by the Election commission is currently a big concern.
|
