Mysore/Mysuru: In a bid to encourage voter participation, a voter awareness contest themed ‘our vote our power’ has been launched in Mysuru to spread electoral awareness. As part of the campaign, colourful posters will be pasted in front of shops and business establishments and will be displayed at places where public gathering is more.

The campaign was launched by Chairperson of National Green Tribunal (NGT) State-Level Committee Justice Subhash B. Adi at Jayachamarajendra Hall of Mysuru City Corporation yesterday. The event was organised in association with various educational institutions, District Administration, and the Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee.

Justice Adi said that voter awareness strengthens democracy through their active participation. He said this will help promote electoral participation and inculcate a sense of civic duty and democratic rights amongst the citizens. He also encouraged the BLOs (Booth Level Officers) to disseminate information among the citizens locally at the micro-management level.

Educational institutions such as Universities, colleges and schools must sensitise the students and teachers about the campaign and the content must be shared on social media handles to garner more attention, he opined.

Officials were asked to visit the low-voter turnout areas pasting voter awareness stickers and posters. “These awareness campaigns must reach out to the lowest-polling stations in these areas, urging voters to come out and vote. Besides this, street plays and youth groups have the responsibility of urging people to exercise their Constitutional right. The thrust is to address the urban and rural apathy towards voting,” Justice Adi said.

Zilla Panchayat CEO K.M. Gayathri, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, MUDA Commissioner G.T. Dinesh Kumar, MCC Health Officer Dr. D.G. Nagaraju, Nodal Officer Ranjith Kumar and others were present.