The National Voters Day is celebrated every year on January 25 to encourage the country’s voters to participate in the electoral process. This year, it is the 12th edition which is being celebrated.
National Voters Day History
The first-ever National Voters’ Day was celebrated on January 25, 2011, to encourage more young voters to take part in the electoral process. The Union government, then led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved a proposal of the law ministry to this effect.
Former information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni at that time pointed out that new voters who attained the age of 18 were showing less interest in getting enrolled in the electoral rolls.
To address this issue, the Election Commission decided to launch a nationwide effort to identify all eligible voters who reach the age of 18 on January 1 of each year in all polling stations across India, Soni said.
Such voters would be enrolled and be given the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) on January 25 every year.
National Voters Day Theme
The theme for this year’s National Voters’ Day is ‘Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative’. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was supposed to be the chief guest for this event. However, he won’t be physically attending the event after getting infected with Covid-19 and will deliver a virtual message.
Union law minister Kiren Rijiju will be the Guest of Honour. During the event, National Awards for the Best Electoral Practises for the year 2021-22 will be given to state and district level officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different areas.
On the other hand, the newly enrolled voters will be handed over the EPIC during the event.
On the occasion of National Voters’ Day, microblogging platform Koo has released a multi-lingual guide on voter rights and responsibilities to empower first-time voters to make informed decisions during the upcoming assembly elections in five states. According to a statement, the guide focuses on the basic rights of the Indian voter as enshrined in the Constitution, and enumerates the responsibilities voters need to consider before and after casting their votes.
