PANJIM: The names of 24,220 voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls owing to death or their having shifted out of the State or Country. At the same time, 46,937 names of new voters were added by the Chief Electoral Office (CEO) during the recently concluded special summary revision ahead of 2017 Assembly polls. This includes 19,500 voters between the age group of 18-19 years.
Gearing up for the forthcoming elections, the CEO in September had launched a special summary revision of electoral rolls which ended last month. The final voters list would be published on January 5, 2017.
Speaking to Herald, Chief Electoral Officer Kunal said the focus was to ensure maximum enrollment of voters. “The response was very good. As per the draft role published earlier this year, 10,85,271 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the election,” he said. “However, during the summary revision, 46,937 new names were added covering almost all the age groups,” Kunal added.
The CEO said that based on claims and door-to-door visits, 24,220 names have been deleted owing to death or being shifted out of State or country. “This may also include double entry,” he claimed.
“We are still in the complying stage. We delete the names based on the list submitted by FRRO,” Kunal said when asked about the details of names deleted for holding Portuguese passport or citizenship.
This year, following directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the CEO has undertaken a special exercise to prepare a data base of people with disabilities to ensure Assured Basic Facilities to them during the voting process. “The data base is still being prepared. We will make sure that all the polling booths are disabled friendly and if required will keep pick and drop service for such voters,” the CEO said.
The State with 40 Assembly constituencies has 1642 election centres and will require over 10,000 persons working including 5,000 security personnel.
Meanwhile, for the first time, the CEO will use voter verifiable paper audit trail system (VVPAT), along with electronic voting machines (EVMs), for the 2017 election.
