Lok Sabha Elections 2024: In Mumbai Offices And Factories Asked To Give Paid Holiday Or 2-Hour Recess For Voting

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, district authorities in Mumbai Suburban have asked offices and factories under their jurisdiction to provide a paid holiday or two-hour recess for their employees to allow them to cast their votes.

Paid leave or two hours to vote

In a notice, Mumbai Suburban District Collector Rajesh Kshirsagar, who is also the returning officer, said that establishments that cannot give their employees a holiday for the entire day should provide a two-hour break with the permission of the collector's office.

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Will face action for non-compliance

The notice also warned establishments of strict action if their staff complained that they were given a paid holiday or two-hour recess on the voting day for Lok Sabha polls.

The Mumbai suburban district will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

Low voter turnout in urban seats

The move is aimed at increasing voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Traditionally, urban constituencies including the metro cities had lagged behind when it comes to voter turnout in elections.

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EC trying to encourage voting

Last week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had held a 'Conference on Low Voter Turnout' with Municipal Commissioners and District Education Officers (DEO) from select districts to increase voter turnout in the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections.

Ahead of the polling in the ongoing general elections in 2024, the poll body has accelerated efforts to enhance voter turnout in parliamentary constituencies (PCs) with a history of low poll participation in previous general elections.

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According to Election Commission data, 11 states and union territories, namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, the NCT of Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand, had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 general elections.

Urban-specific campaigns

To address low voter turnout in urban areas, specific hurdles were identified and targeted City-specific interventions were planned and the officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programmes that resonated with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies.

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This includes voter awareness campaigns, rolling out public transport and sanitation vehicles adorned with essential election messages and incorporating voter awareness messages into utility bills for widespread dissemination.

It also includes collaborating with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), raising voter awareness through forums, and hosting informative sessions at popular public spaces such as parks, markets, and malls, among others.

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