Children in Uttar Pradesh Encouraged to Write Letters to Parents Urging Them to Vote in Lok Sabha Elections

In an effort to increase voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh, school children will be writing letters to their parents urging them to check their names in the voter list and vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This initiative by the Election Commission aims to engage youth in promoting a strong democracy.

The Election Commission’s SVEEP initiative has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, district administration, and Education department to involve school children in encouraging their parents to vote. Parents will be asked to sign a “pledge letter” committing to exercise their right to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Director of Uttar Pradesh Basic Education, Pratap Singh Baghel, has instructed basic shiksha adhikaris to use comics as an outreach medium to engage school children in the electoral process. Characters like Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu will be used creatively to convey election-related information and motivate young students to participate.

With Uttar Pradesh’s voter turnout falling below the national average in previous general elections, this initiative is crucial to increase civic participation. In 2019, the state’s poll percentage was 59.21%, lower than the national average of 67.4%. Similarly, in 2014, Uttar Pradesh’s voter turnout was 58.44% compared to the country’s average of 66.44%.

By involving school children in promoting voter awareness and participation, the Election Commission aims to instill a sense of informed and responsible citizenship from an early age. Through creative initiatives like writing letters and using comics, the campaign seeks to bridge the gap between the state’s voter turnout and the national average.