Voters’ education is vital for the sustainability of democracy and the democratic institutions. People’s ignorance about the unprecedented significance of elections and casting of votes to bring the right people in power can erode the process of democracy in a country.

Civil society organisations, including local and international Non-Government Organisations, media, educational institutions and political parties can play their role to educate people about the importance of voting and motivate the eligible voters, particularly the youth, to get themselves enrolled in the voter lists by registering their votes with election authorities.

According to the United Nations, the term ‘voters’ education’ generally stands for the dissemination of information, materials and programmes designed to inform voters about the specifics and mechanics of the voting process for a particular election. It involves providing information about who is eligible to vote, where and how to register, how electors can check the voter lists to ensure they have been duly included, what type of elections are being held, where, when and how to vote,who the candidates are and what are their election symbols.

Voter education awareness programmes should primarily aim to gain universal coverage of the electorate and this requires reaching out to disadvantaged groups and mainstream voters. Besides, voter education should take into account factors that include the rate of illiteracy or the use of different languages in a given country to obtaining maximum results of better sensitisation of the people about the different aspects of election.

Minority groups, internally displaced persons and other marginalised segments of society should be particularly targeted in voter education programmes. Those eligible to vote for the first time may need special messages explaining how to register and cast a ballot. Voter education should also include publicity, mainly through colleges, universities, mass media and mobile messages to encourage the eligible voters to cast their votes.

The government and the national election management body such as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in particular is responsible for promoting voter education for achieving maximum voter turnout. But, public and private media, political parties, local and international NGOs can also have a part in communicating the election messages and motivating the voters to cast their votes.

Although there are many ways to educate eligible voters, well-thought out, viable creative approaches can help spread information across the board in a meaningful way. While voter education programmes can include posters and pamphlets, handouts, wall posters, activities such as street theatre, role playing, radio spots, jingles, songs, comic strips, Internet campaigns through social media and mobile SMSs can significantly help to get the message across and ensure that all voters — men and women — have access to the information they need to participate in the election process. Women’s groups can be especially effective in developing material that would reverberate with women voters.

It is good practice, however, to have all voter education material vetted by the ECP to ensure its accuracy. Ideally, election management bodies in provinces should also check privately generated voter education material to ensure that it is gender-sensitive, in conformity with principles of voter education and that it does not violate the ethical and moral values of the society.

University teachers, too, have a key role to play in this regard. During their daily interaction with students, most of whom are above 18 by the time they reach university, the teachers can motivate them into passing on election messages further to their parents and other eligible voters in their respective homes in order to keep the wheels of democratic system on the go.

The teachers can organise dialogues, debates and discussions on the importance of elections in national development. Such initiatives can really help improve the understanding of their students about the elections and voting processes and persuade them to use their right of vote.

According to a booklet published jointly by Nadra and the ECP, Pakistan is 164th in terms of voter turnout amongst the 169 counties which have held democratic elections during last five decades. The document concludes that Pakistan’s average voter turnout during the said period has remained at 45.3 per cent.

While voting in Pakistan has never been compulsory, Chairman, Nadra, Tariq Malik says that voting should be made compulsory and people should be encouraged to exercise their right to vote, a move that he believes will eventually help improve the voter turnout in the country.

“But this will not help without mass awareness programmes at all levels ranging from streets to mass media to sensitise eligible voters to cast their votes in favour of the right candidates without any bias,” says Tahira Abdullah, a prominent activist and member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She is engaged in campaigns aimed at sensitising women to motivate them to exercise their right to vote.

Of total 86.18 registered voters in the country, 41.5 million registered young voters between the 18-35 age bracket can play a decisive part in the upcoming general elections and make an unprecedented difference by bringing the right, more qualified people to power in order to take the country to new heights of socio-economic uplift and pull out the country from the clutches of those who have been engaged in politics that has served their personal interests rather than those of the country.

Lack of awareness about vote registration and casting processes are major causes of low voter turnout in the country, particularly rural areas. Other reasons range from security concerns to sociological issues.

Voter education is necessary in every election in order to ensure that eligible voters, particularly women, understand their rights, their political system, the contests they are being asked to decide.

ECP officials say that for an election to be successful and truly democratic, voters must understand their rights and responsibilities and it should be ensured that the voters are adequately knowledgeable and well-informed to cast votes.

Voter education is particularly important in countries with volatile political situations and where the elections can bear an unprecedented impact on the future of the nation.

The writer is a former DawnNews staffer