THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seventy percent of youth eligible to become voters in Kerala stayed away from the annual voter list revision program from January of last year to January 1 of this year. This startling revelation, which raises concerns about democratic participation, was shared in a report released yesterday by the State Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar.

The current system ensures that anyone who applies will have their name included in the voter list on the day they turn 18. The voter list is updated in January, April, July, and October. Applications can also be submitted online, even using mobile phones. Despite this convenience, youth seem disinterested in registering as voters. In Kerala, 58% of voters fall within the 30 to 60 age group, while only 1.07% are aged between 18 and 19. The gender ratio among voters is 1,069 women for every 1,000 men.

The percentage of youth abstaining from registration in Kerala exceeds the national average
Kerala
18-19 age group: 998,000
Registered voters in this age group: 296,552

National level
18-19 age group: 4.9 crore
Registered voters in this group: 1.8 crore
Those who abstained from registering as voters: 62%

Agency to study the matter
The State Election Commission plans to appoint an agency to study the reluctance of youth to participate in voting and to suggest ways to attract them to the electoral process. It has yet to be decided whether the task will be assigned to an agency like IMG or another professional organization. Chief Electoral Officer Rathan Kelkar said that the Election Commission is considering announcing the new project during the National Voter’s Day celebrations on the 25th.

Youth feel political leaders are deceiving public
1. The perception among youth is that leaders lacking political purity are deceiving the public. They believe that corruption and moral degradation are prevalent everywhere.

2. There is a growing trend of migration to Western countries for education and employment opportunities, which often go hand in hand abroad.

3. The violence and brutality seen in campus politics are pushing youth away from political involvement, fostering a mindset of focusing solely on personal life and goals.

Reduction in number of voters
Last year’s voters: 2,78,37,285
Current voters: 2,78,10,942
Decrease in voters: 26,343

Reasons for the decline:
Removed due to death or other reasons: 89,907
Voters added back, including those who returned to the country: 63,564

2,78,10,942 people on the final list
Women voters........................ 1,43,69,092
Male voters................... 1,34,41,490
Transgenders................................... 360
More voters in Malappuram.... 34,01,577
Fewer voters in Wayanad........... 6,42,200
More women voters in Malappuram- 17,00,907
More transgender voters in Thiruvananthapuram- 93
Non-resident voters................................... 90,124