Voter fatigue? Disinterested in voting? Perhaps a personal letter signed by the Collector could turn the tables. On Tuesday, over 2,700 letters were dispatched to voters of 7 polling stations across Dharmapuri’s five assembly segments inviting them to vote.
Dharmapuri district with its constituencies, which had recorded the highest voter turnout touching over 86%, the highest in the State, in the assembly elections of 2016, battled with lower voter turnout in the last Parliamentary elections in some polling stations. The polling average in the identified stations ranged between 45% to 60%, says District Nodal Officer, SVEEP and District Revenue Officer Dr. Paul Princely Rajkumar.
“We identified 7 such polling stations where the average voter turnout was low, collected names and addresses and contact numbers through Booth Level Officers,” says Mr.Rajkumar.
One of the polling stations was Kotturmalai, which had .5% polling, but primarily because of poll boycott for lack of basic amenities. “This time, all of it have been addressed and basic amenities fulfilled,” says the DRO.
On Tuesday, Collector K.Shanthi, in her chambers, sat through and signed each of the 2,700 letters addressed to each individual voter of the seven polling stations. The letters were handed over to the postmen of the respective areas in the Collector’s chambers.
On Wednesday, each voter would receive the letter personally handed over by the postman.
Collector Shanthi also asked the postmen to collect direct feedback from the recipients.
