Koo launches Voters Guide to encourage people to vote in India

Microblogging platform Koo on Monday said it has released a multi-lingual guide on Voter Rights and Responsibilities as part of efforts to empower first-time voters to make informed decisions during the upcoming legislative assembly elections.

The Koo Voters Guide focuses on the basic rights of the Indian voter as enshrined in the Constitution of India, and enumerates the responsibilities voters need to consider before and after casting their votes, a statement said.

It reflects the Koo App's efforts - as a transparent, unbiased and reliable social media intermediary - in enhancing voter awareness, and in building greater trust in the electoral process, it added.

Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa will be held between February 10 and March 7 in seven phases with the counting of votes on March 10. In all, elections will be held for 690 assembly seats, and 18.3 crore people, including 8.5 crore women, will be eligible to cast their votes in the five states.

The Voters Guide - available in Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, and English - reiterates the importance of voting as the central pillar of democracy, and the need to augment voter education for free and fair elections.

Koo CEO and co-founder Aprameya Radhakrishna said the Guide has been released in four languages to enrich the knowledge of every voter, and to build greater confidence in the electoral process. National Voters Day is observed on January 25 every year to mark the foundation of the Election Commission of India, which was established in 1950. First initiated in 2011, National Voters' Day is aimed at encouraging and maximising the enrolment of new voters.