To find out more about the low voter turnout in Tamil Nadu during the recently concluded assembly polls, the public election department has formed special committees comprising students. The poll percentage during the voting was much below expectations despite social media campaigns and events through brand ambassadors.
Rajesh Lakhoni, the Chief Electoral Officer, has asked all the district collectors to look into the polling booths that recorded low voter turnout. According to sources, All the cities in Tamil Nadu had witnessed low poll percentage, compared with rural areas such as Dharmapuri and Kanyakumari. A senior officer of the electoral officer said, The booths that had received low polling has been identified in all assembly constituencies.
The newly formed special committees will be finalised soon. These committees will help ascertain what factors led to low polling. The public has also been approached to come up with suggestions so help achieve 100 per cent polling in upcoming elections.
Election commission sources say. The polling date for the TN constituencies Aravakurichi and Thanjavur, where elections suspended due to distribution of cash for votes, and the Thiruparankundram by poll due to demise of MLA S M Seenivel are expected by next month. Several senior officers with the election commission of India are out of station and are expected only by the end of this month and the election dates are expected only after that.