Hyderabad: The Election Commission had established 180 theme-based polling booths across 15 constituencies in Hyderabad for the Assembly elections today, November 30. The polling stations were set up to lure the voters and send out a message of inclusivity.
According to the reports, there were 75 polling stations managed exclusively by women, 15 by persons with disabilities (PWDs), and 15 by youngsters.
“The thematic establishments were primarily aimed at motivating voters from those sections to participate in the elections, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner and Hyderabad District Election Officer,” D Ronald Rose said.
Every single staff member was female in the polling stations managed by women. Additionally, all basic amenities were offered to all the female voters at these booths.
The decision was made after observing that there were many ‘unfriendly for women’ polling stations in the city. These booths were characterised by small, cramped rooms and dirty toilets. With a strength of approximately 21.62 lakh, there were 50% women voters in Hyderabad during the elections.
Likewise, the PWD polling booths were entirely managed by differently-abled individuals. Special facilities designed to accommodate the needs of officers and staff with disabilities were available at these polling stations.
Similarly, some of the poling booths supervised by young individuals were entirely managed by first-time voters. The initiative was taken as the young voters make up nearly 30 percent of the total voters in the state. Other polling stations were based on the art of local culture to create awareness among voters.
The thematic polling stations were last set up in Karnataka’s Assembly elections to curb the poor voter turnout in May.
