Mock voting for poll awareness begins

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT 

Nepalgunj, Nov.4: Mock voting programme has begun in Banke to educate the voters about voting process for the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly. 

Rama Panta, Chief of the District Election Office, Banke, said that mock voting programmes have been started in different local levels  of the district.

The mock voting programme is a part of voter education which informs the people about the voting process, said Panta. 

Stating that the model voting programme will be conducted till November 7, Panta said that the voters were provided information regarding discipline while queuing for voting, and allowing the senior citizens to exercise their franchise rights. 

Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, Kohalpur Municipality, Baijanath Rural Municipality, Khajura Rural Municipality, Janaki Rural Municipality, Duduwa Rural Municipality, Narainapur Rural Municipality and Raptisonari Rural Municipality are running the mock polling programmes, informed Panta. 

According to the Election Office, the model voting was started in Khajura and Janaki rural municipalities in the participation of the local people. 

The locals were informed about the election education with presentations. 

"The participants have become well aware of all the voting procedures and we are hopeful that they will also convey this information in their localities and villages," said Panta. 

As more than one ballot paper are being used in the election ,the voter education programme is very essential for the voters. 

So, mock voting has become only means for teaching about the process of voting, she said. 

The election which is scheduled to be held on November 20 has four types of ballot papers, out of which two ballot papers are for  the House of Representatives elections to be held under the First-Past-The-Post (PR) and proportional representation (PR) categories and two for the provincial assembly elections. 

According to the Election Office, the sample voting also taught the voters about the differences seen in the ballot papers and how to vote on it.