You may soon vote at the click of a mouse
If the state election commission’s proposal works out, you would vote online or even from your mobile phone for the 2012 civic polls.
If the state election commission’s proposal works out, you would vote online or even from your mobile phone for the 2012 civic polls.
The commission has appointed an expert committee of five to six members to create software programme, which will assist electors to vote online.
“We are trying different ways to attract new voters and online voting is one of them. The technical committee has been appointed and the programme should be ready this year,” said Neela Satyanarayana, state election commissioner.
She was speaking at a function on the occasion of National Voters’ Day organised by the state chief electoral officer at the University of Mumbai Fort campus on Tuesday.
Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan was chief guest at the function, where nine new registered voters were given electronic photo identity cards.
“Our main concern while introducing e-voting is security, as votes should not be sold and the voter’s details should not be revealed,” said Satyanarayana.
“Mock trials will be held after the programming code enabling e-voting is ready before it is launched. We aim to use the device in all elections to be held from 2012 onwards. It’s my dream to take online voting to the lowest level of society — our villages.”
Encouraging college students to vote, Sankaranarayanan said: “I dream of a day when a voter is able to cast his vote from wherever he is. Farmer from the village, labourer from his factory, office goers online and youth from their mobile phones.”
Debashish Chakrabarty, secretary and chief electoral officer, Maharashtra, requested college principals to make arrangements wherein students after turning 18 can immediately register as electors.
“The collectors and district education officers of all districts would extend full support to such endeavours through electoral registration officers,” Chakrabarty said.