In a move vital for the future of the country, voting awareness drills are being organised at all schools of Lucknow. The said programme will educate school students about voting and the model code of conduct.

To implement the same, the district admin has created a comprehensive strategy to host a one-day awareness programme. The immersive programme will comprise different aspects of the polling experience, including hands-on practice with EVMs or Electronic Voting Machines and the VVPAT (Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail) machines.

The overall aim of the exercise is to create voter awareness at the level of schools.

Besides city schools, the district magistrate has also urged on training of polling officers, including senior district admin personnel, ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In order to ensure attendance of all, Google Forms will be used for real-time tracking of trainees.

Last year, the district admin rolled out ‘votesmart-Lucknow’, a portal dedicated for first-time voters and students. It would register the names on electoral rolls to ensure a seamless experience for the novel voters.

“The portal has already listed 255 schools and colleges. Students can choose from them to get themselves enrolled. In case, their schools/colleges are not on the list, they can choose the ‘others’ options at the time of registration. Schools and colleges that get all their 18+ students enrolled will be awarded certificates of appreciation,” DM Surya Pal Gangwar had stated earlier.

As per the identification details, the portal would then help deliver voter ID cards at the homes of those registered.