Tamil Nadu has begun a three-day voter enrolment drive with a special focus on young and first-time eligible voters in urban areas, Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said in a statement on Wednesday. The campaign will use electoral literacy clubs in schools and colleges to create awareness among the target group.
The initiative is aimed at increasing enrolment among eligible residents who have not yet registered as electors. While the drive covers the state, the Chief Electoral Officer said urban areas would receive particular attention because of the focus on young and first-time voters.
Electoral literacy clubs in educational institutions will support the awareness campaign. Tamil Nadu has about 1,300 such clubs across the state, according to Patnaik. Their involvement places schools and colleges within the administration’s voter outreach effort, particularly for residents approaching or reaching eligibility for the first time.
The drive is being conducted over three days, with additional special campaigns planned in districts wherever they are required. Patnaik said these district-level drives would be held on October 10 for the same purpose. The statement did not specify the districts where the additional activity would take place or provide a target for the number of new electors to be enrolled.
The enrolment exercise will also be reviewed through the existing electoral administration. Electoral registration officers will hold regular meetings with booth-level officers to assess the progress of the special drive and monitor its implementation, Patnaik said. Booth-level officers are responsible for field-level electoral work within designated polling areas.
The monitoring arrangement indicates that the campaign is not limited to public awareness activities in educational institutions. It also includes reviews by electoral registration officers and coordination with booth-level officers, with the stated objective of ensuring that the drive is implemented effectively.
The announcement comes as electoral authorities seek to bring more eligible young residents into the electoral roll. For urban administrations, the focus places attention on the connection between population mobility, educational institutions and voter registration, although the statement did not provide data on current enrolment levels or identify specific urban areas with the largest gaps.
Patnaik said the three-day drive would continue alongside the planned district-level activity and regular reviews by electoral registration officers. Further progress will be assessed through meetings with booth-level officers as the election administration monitors implementation across Tamil Nadu.
