EC Wants Employers To Keep Record Of Staffs Who Take Leave And Don’t Vote: Report

The EC will require government departments, PSUs, and private enterprises to establish nodal officers who would keep track of employees who do not vote through their local district election officials.

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) is expected to write to all Union and state government departments, federal and state PSUs, and private enterprises with over 500 workers to track how many employees take special casual leave on election day but do not vote in order to combat voter apathy in metropolitan areas, Indian Express reported.

The EC will require government departments, PSUs, and private enterprises to establish nodal officers who would keep track of employees who do not vote through their local district election officials.

While seeking anonymity, a senior EC official informed Indian Express, "We would then urge the employer to send employees who skipped voting for special voter awareness workshops organised by the EC. The aim is to tackle voter apathy, especially in urban areas."

“It’s unfortunate if people are availing leave but not casting their vote. No one would like to get named for not voting. We hope the act of being identified and sent for a workshop after being found to have skipped voting will discourage apathy,” the official added.

Every registered voter engaged in any business, trade, industrial operation, or other institution and entitled to vote in a Parliament or Assembly election must be given a paid vacation for the purpose, according to Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

 

The state and central administrations usually declare election day a paid holiday under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act of 1881.

 

Despite great awareness of voting rights, voter apathy is significant in metropolitan areas, according to EC data. 67.40 percent of registered voters voted in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

 

With 90.66 percent, 87.34 percent, and 87.03 percent, respectively, Dhubri (Assam), Bishnupur (West Bengal), and Arunachal East had the highest turnout. Urban seats, such as Srinagar (14.43 percent), Anantnag (8.98 percent), Hyderabad (44.84 percent), and Patna Sahib (45.80 percent), on the other hand, saw lesser attendance, as per Indian Express reports.