Thiruvananthapuram, March 27 The Election Commission said on Friday that it will launch a state-wide awareness campaign to encourage young people in Kerala to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming Assembly elections on April 9.
The campaign, titled "My Vote, My Strength," will be a joint effort by the Election Commission, the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA), and the police, the poll panel said in a statement.
The initiative will be inaugurated on Saturday evening at Manaveeyam Veedhi in the heart of the state capital, the statement said.
The poll panel said that in recent elections, there has been a clear trend of declining voter turnout among young people, and the reasons appear to be reluctance and apathy towards voting.
According to EC figures, the 18-29 age group comprises over 50 lakh voters in the state.
To make young people aware of the importance of voting and to encourage them to do so, the campaign will use street plays, flash mobs, awareness classes by KeLSA panel lawyers and paralegal volunteers, dialogues with new voters, and the distribution of pamphlets, the EC said.
Street plays, flash mobs, and awareness classes have been organized at all the taluk centers and important intersections of local self-government institutions in the state, it said.
"The concept of 'My Vote, My Power' is to ensure that every citizen recognizes the value of their vote and uses it correctly without succumbing to any temptations," the statement said.