National Voters Day

National Voters’ Day is celebrated on 25 January every year in India to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (25 January 1950). This year, we are celebrating the 12th National Voters' Day. This day is solely meant to encourage the population of India to vote and thereby maximize the enrolment of voters. In India, people vote once every five years to elect representatives to the national, state and local legislative bodies.

HISTORY

National Voters Day began as an initiative by the Election Commission of India in the year 2011. A Union Council of Ministers meeting took place under the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. It was noticed that young people who were of voting age were reluctant to register themselves as voters. This led to the founding of National Voters’ Day to identify the youth who have turned 18, enrol them and then provide them with their Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC). January 25 was chosen as the date of observance of National Voters’ Day to commemorate the founding of The Election Commission on this day in 1950.

SIGNIFICANCE

Ever since 2011, National Voters’ Day has been celebrated on 25 January every year to commemorate the foundation day of the Election Commission of India. The ECI is a Constitutional body that is bound by its responsibility to conduct free and fair elections in India at all levels of legislature. Thus, as mentioned above, National voter's day is a day mainly to encourage voting as well as raise awareness among voters to participate in the electoral process in a free and unbiased manner. Besides this, new voters are also felicitated on this day and handed over their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC).

THEME

Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative.