Casting the first vote, making themselves heard and contributing to the democratic process is a matter of great pride for youngsters. More than 36,000 youths, who turned 18 on March 31, have been enrolled in the new voters’ list and will get a chance to vote for the first time in State Assembly elections likely to be held in last quarter of this year.

Till a few months ago, January 1 of any year used to be the registration date for voters, which meant that only those youths who completed 18 years of age as on January 1 of that year were eligible for voting in any election in that year. However in later half of last year, ECI changed norms and now there are four registration dates, January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. Any voter who completes 18 years of is eligible to vote in any election held after these date. ECI also made an option for voters who are going to become 18 years old in the year to apply for registration in advance.

Joint Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kumar Kaul said, “Those youths who are between 17 and 18 years of age and have applied for getting registered as voters will automatically be added to the new voters’ list on the corresponding registration date. Like any such voter who has turned 18 on say February 8 and has applied in advance will be added to the voters’ list automatically on April 1.”.

Talking about the poll panel’s bid to create awareness about voters list, Kaul further said, “We have organised electoral awareness programmes under which groups have been made at school and college level, and a teacher has been made nodal officer. This has helped create awareness among young voters. All youngsters who are between 17 and 18 years of age, should apply in advance”.