The polling booths were set up in apartment complexes and high-rise buildings in development areas along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Dwarka Expressway.
A polling station at a condominium in Gurugram (image)
Key highlights
Gurugram: To increase voter turnout, Gurugram Administration The plan is to set up polling stations in 150 apartment blocks ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
The initiative follows the success of the “door-to-door voting” campaign during the Lok Sabha elections, in which polling stations were set up in community centres and clubs in 52 residential areas, including apartment complexes and high-rise buildings. Reported by Hindustan Times.
Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) representing communities with more than 800 voters have been encouraged to come up with proposals for setting up polling booths in their housing societies. Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav emphasised the aim of facilitating door-to-door voting to maximize voter participation.
Gurugram Lieutenant Governor Nishant Yadav highlighted his administration’s goal of offering door-to-door voting to maximize voter turnout. He noted that residents are more likely to vote if polling stations are conveniently located within housing societies and provide a safe environment. Yadav cited the increase in voter turnout observed during the Lok Sabha elections as evidence of the effectiveness of the initiative.
Yadav further explained that in cases where a residential area has less than 800 residents, efforts will be made to consolidate polling facilities with neighbouring communities to prevent unnecessary travel. He also highlighted the administration’s strategy to set up polling stations in complexes close to rural areas to minimise the need for rural polling stations.
According to district officials, the decision to set up polling stations in apartment complexes came after past election data showed that voter turnout was lower in urban areas of Gurugram compared to sectors administered by the Haryana State Social Welfare Board (HSVP) and rural areas. Notably, provisional voting statistics released by the district administration showed that polling booths set up in apartment complexes and high-rise buildings along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Dwarka Expressway had significantly higher voter turnout in Lok Sabha elections compared to Sectors 1 to 57.
