Inked

On April 16, 2009 I cast my vote; did you?

Press the black button of your choice and step away slowly as the light blinks red and ominous, and the machine beeps loud and shrill. Ready or not, your choice has been “locked”; your vote is now cast.

Armed with my spankin’ new “Election Commission of India Voter Identification Card,” my Driver’s License, my HP Photosmart, and a tentative smile, today was the first time I, Nirati Agarwal, voted.

'V' is for Vote; 'V' is in Vogue!

 

After the ‘Jaago Re’ campaign, the Lead Indian 2009 initiative, the publicity of websites like No Criminlas.org (which reveal criminal history and background info on candidates) and star-studded advertisements asking Indians to “please vote,” you’d think the stats for voters during the 2009 elections, must have surely made a new record.

As it turns out, the percentage of voters during this election (65%) was about 3 percent less than the 2004 elections (67.95%). Mind bender? Not so much. Stricter ID  rules have been adopted and voter fraud has been put on the down low. This may explain the statistics. In terms of unique voters, I think that the numbers have actually increased. 

Of course, all efforts aside, I’ve heard of two cases where friends of mine couldn’t vote in Hyderabad this year. One had his voter ID but wasn’t allowed to vote because his name wasn’t on the list; and the other arrived at his poll booth only to discover that his vote had already been cast!

People are voting, and are proud of it. Take a look at Facebook and Twitter pages, and you’ll see an unusual number of status messages and posts concerning the 2009 Elections. Voting is now in vogue. As long as the numbers are up, and the people concerned, I dont think there’s anything wrong with flaunting your vote. 

 

To tell me about your 2009 voting experience, write in!

At the Kakaguda Government Primary School in Picket, Secunderabad, people waited in long lines this afternoon, framed by the bright yellow walls to enter classrooms converted into poll booths.

 

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