EC to Establish 1,832 Special Polling Booths in Karnataka

The Election Commission (EC) in Karnataka has decided to establish 1,832 special polling booths to encourage different sections such as tribals, women, and persons with disabilities to participate and vote in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Department of Scheduled Tribes in coordination with the EC is setting up 40 special polling booths based on the tribal culture theme. These tribal theme-based polling booths will be located in Chamarajanagar (9), Mysuru (9), Dakshina Kannada (5), Shivamogga (3), Udupi (1), Hassan (1), Uttara Kannada (5), Kodagu (5) and Chikkamagaluru (2).

Special booths to encourage youth, women, and persons with disabilities are also being established across the state.

Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Meena has said the elections will be celebrated like a festival. Special booths are being established to increase voter turnout under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.

To encourage women voters, 1,120 Sakhi polling booths will be established all over the state and they will be managed completely by women.

For every Assembly constituency, a minimum of five Sakhi polling booths will be created.

Similarly, one polling booth in each Assembly constituency across the state will be set up to ensure the participation of specially-abled persons. These 224 booths will be operated by the specially-abled officers and staff.

Likewise, one polling booth in every Assembly constituency will be managed completely by young officers and staff. At least one polling booth in every constituency reflecting the culture and speciality of the region will be set up across the state, the CEO said.