Pink booths, Model polling stns help voters
New Delhi: Childcare facilities, selfie kiosks, lounges and candies greeted voters at pink booths and model polling stations decked up to provide a relaxed voting experience in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls on Sunday.
Polling for 250 wards began at 8 am and will continue till 5:30 pm. Votes will be counted on December 7. The Delhi State Election Commission (SEC) has set up 68 pink booths and as many model polling
stations. At an all-female staff managed pink booth at Khajuri Khas in northeast Delhi decked with balloons, voter Momina Rashid said, "This looks pleasing. Also, voting has become easy."
"We require to exercise our rights. The issues that are in our mind are the pathetic condition of roads and drainage. We want our area to be cleaned," she said.
Security arrangements inside and outside the pink booth premises were tight with police and paramilitary personnel ensuring hassle-free voting. Selfie points also attracted voters many of whom were seen clicking pictures after casting their votes.
"At the pink booths managed by all-female staff have feeding room for nursing mothers, a creche facility for little children accompanying voters, swings for kids and decorated selfie kiosks," a senior official of SEC said.
The SEC was expecting that at least 45 per cent of the voters this year will be based on female voters. Keeping this data point in mind, the commission set up the pink booths. A young voter from Amar Colony claimed: "I appreciate the fact that more women were volunteering for polling duty and it was good to see female guards on ground too, it made the voting process much more secure for me."
Manoj Kumar an official at Khajuri Khas pink booth said the facilities and cleanliness encourage people to come forward to vote. "There are ramps for disabled people who are escorted to cast their votes," he said.
The model polling stations have waiting area, lounge and selfie kiosks while candies are distributed to voters. Civil defence volunteers help people with disability and senior citizens, the SEC official said.
Advocate Ekta Dhma at DDU Marg pink booth was all praise for the poll panel's initative.
"It is really nice with neat and clean premises and helping polling officials. They are also creating awareness specially among the first-time voters," she said.
Aman Kaur, 48 from Kalkaji, who voted in the model polling booth said that his entire family clicked pictures after voting and posted on their social media to encourage other voters to come and vote as well.
The SEC had hoped that the Pink Booths and Model Booths set up in areas like Lado Sarai, Kalakji, RK Puram, Rohini, Joharipur, Delhi Gate, Chittaranjan Park, etc will be examples for smooth voting processes.
