New Delhi : As the country gears up for the high stakes 18th Lok Sabha Election 2024 that are scheduled to begin by the third week of this month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun unique and innovative campaigns like ‘You are the One’ and ‘Turning 18’ on social media platforms in which a tailored messaging strategy is being followed to further enhance the effectiveness of the theme of ‘Chunav Ka Parv, Desh Ka Garv’.
The theme is largely centred around the young and the first time voters, who will not only play an important part in electing the next government but the poll panel via this theme wants to attract the youth, so that they realize the significance of their vote by participating in the festival of democracy.
The Commission has on various occasions identified apathy of urban and youth voters as a cause for concern in its quest to improve voter turnout.
The ‘Turning 18’ campaign is envisioned to target young and first-time voters, using various techniques to capture the attention of the targetted segments in this general election. A relook will be taken at the past elections, comparing the same with the present polls. Thematic logos will be developed for easy identification.
The new themes developed by the Commission over the last several elections to ensure greater participations of voters will also be showcased to the intended groups. The whole point will be to drive home to the young voters that exercising their franchise is a duty in a vibrant democracy.
The impact of the ‘Turning 18’ campaign is substantial, with widespread amplification facilitated by State Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and the national public broadcast such as DD News and Akashvani.
Moreover, the poll panel has also collaborated with its popular network of National and State SVEEP icons to have a multiplier effect, in order to gain the attention of young voters.
The concerted effort will help in disseminating the campaign's message across diverse segments of society, effectively reaching its target audience and generating significant momentum for the forthcoming poll days.
According to the election commission's data, as many as 1.8 crore are the first time voters in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections while 19.74 crore are young voters (20-29).
For the last general elections in 2018, there were 1.5 crore first time voters.
