Activists set up war room to help first-time voters

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a first of its kind, a group of activists from Reap Benefit, an NGO, has launched a designated war room to help first-time voters in Karnataka ahead of the upcoming Assembly election.

Volunteers of the NGO provide assistance to first-time voters via phone calls and the WhatsApp Chatbot facility. Archana, one of the volunteers of the group, told News Trail that they have received over 300 calls in two days since they launched. Of these, 80 per cent were first-time voters from the city.

“It is the first time that an NGO has set up a war room designated for electoral politics. We are happy to guide first-time voters to vote wisely. Our initiative will help them test their political literacy,” she said. She also said many callers were unaware of the constituencies and candidates, adding that their volunteers educate such people. One can know their constituency and candidates by simply dialing 8095500118, she said.

“The number of firsttime voters in the state has increased considerably compared to the last time. Nobody should fail to exercise their constitutional duty, and we believe that civil society participation in the state must also increase,” she added. According to the State Election Commission, nearly 5.21 crore voters are eligible to vote for the Assembly election on May 10.