Stella Maris College and Election Commission of India (TN) hosts ‘National Voters Day Celebration 2024’
An awareness campaign to encourage youth especially first-time voters to exercise their right to vote
The College has undertaken a proactive approach to instill democratic values among students through the combined efforts of the Stella Maris College (SMC) Think Tank and Stella Maris College (SMC) Electoral Literacy Club.
Speaking on this occasion Dr. Sr. Stella Mary fmm, Principal i/c, Stella Maris College stated, “Elections play a pivotal role in this democratic framework, serving as a mechanism for people to express their will and choose their representatives. Thereby it is important for us to dialogue with the young voters especially our students, many of them would be first time voters to understand the election process and to choose their leaders wisely as their voice contributes to our nation’s progress.”
Thiru. C. Suresh, DRO Elections, Chennai Corporation in his special address spoke about the need for youth to be aware and enthusiastic in their social participation. Thiru. V. Munian, Educational Consultant, Chennai Corporation SVEEP Nodal Officer, Chennai District in his address highlighted the need for every student to enroll for their voter ID and exercise their franchise without fail. He cited various examples to stress on the importance of every single vote. Thiru. Prasad, Programme Officer, Chennai Corporation made a presentation on the various procedures and forms for enrolment and corrections. He highlighted the importance of the EPIC card and the need to possess an updated Voter ID for every citizen. Thiru. Manjunath Special Tahsildar for Elections Chennai Corporation was also present for the programme.
Several awareness activities like poster competition, reel making competition and a quiz were conducted over a week-long campaign with an aim to raise awareness and consciousness among students about the significance of democracy. A survey was also undertaken amongst our students to find out the number of first-time eligible voters and eligible students above 18 years who have not yet enrolled themselves. As is evident from the survey, about 8.3% are below 18 years of age, only 36.5% of those who have completed 18 have voter IDs and a very large percentage, i.e., more than 56% of those above 18 years do not possess voter ID’s and therefore there is a need for immediate enrolment of these first-time voters. The emphasis on increasing the percentage of voters through extensive enrolment drives reflects the College’s commitment in shaping informed and responsible citizens who understand the importance of their role in the democratic process.
