Voters are the backbone of any democracy. Keeping this in mind, every year on 25th January, India observes National Voters’ Day to encourage young generation to come forward and participate in the country’s voting process. Here’s everything one needs to know about this significant day ahead of India’s Republic Day.
Theme of National Voters’ Day 2022
This year, India is celebrating the 12th edition of National Voters’ Day and it has two significant themes: ‘Electoral Literacy for Stronger Democracy’ and ‘Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative.’ These themes are a continuation of the last year’s theme which was ‘Making our Voters Empowered, Safe, Vigilant and Informed.’
History behind National Voters’ Day
On 25th January 1950, The Election Commission of India was officially established. However, it was only decades later in the year 2011 that the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, had formally accepted the Union Law Ministry’s proposal to mark 25th January as the National Voters’ Day.
It was noticed that new and young voters above the age of 18 years were reluctant to get themselves register in the electoral rolls of the country. To tackle this issue, the Election Commission of India had decided to launch an effort all across India to identify all eligible voters who attain the age of 18 on 1st January every year across all polling stations in the country. It was also decided that such voters will not only be enrolled but also be provided their unique Electoral Photo Identity Card, popularly known as voter identity card, on every 25th January.
Significance of National Voters’ Day
In 2011, National Voters’ Day was officially introduced to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India. It is an autonomous body overseen by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice that ensures fair elections. Furthermore, National Voters’ Day is celebrated to create awareness about the importance of voting in a democracy and to educate people about their voting rights.
National Voters’ Day 2022: How will it be celebrated?
This year, on the National Voters’ Day, National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices for the year 2021-22 will be conferred to officers from the state and district levels as a recognition of their contribution in carrying out the election process across different parts of India peacefully and ethically. Today, the multi-blogging platform Koo is also set to release a multi-lingual guide on voter rights and responsibilities in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. This is an effort to empower first time voters, so that they are able to make informed decisions before and during the upcoming assembly elections across five Indian states.