Have birthday on May 12, be brand ambassador in Haryana

Chandigarh, April 17 (IANS) In Haryana 20,428 voters have the opportunity to be voting brand ambassadors on May 12 -- when polling will take place in the state for 10 Lok Sabha seats -- as their birthday falls on the state's polling day.

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajeev Ranjan said on Wednesday that those whose birthday is falling on May 12, they will be made 'Voters' Brand Ambassadors'.

Programmes would be organised in districts to administer oath of ethical voting to them, he said.

"Birthdays are always a special occasion for everyone. This day, the birthday of those born on May 12 in the state is falling on a day when crores of people will stand in queues to cast their vote and participate in a democratic process for the world's largest democracy, which should be a matter of pride for them," said the CEO.

"A provision would be made for a special surprise for some of them," he said.

Such people, he hoped, would encourage and motivate others in their neighborhood to vote.

"A total of 20,428 voters in Haryana have their birthday on May 12. On the day of polling, these voters could make their birthday memorable by clicking their selfie with ink mark on their finger after casting their vote," he added.

Ranjan said that earlier also, 2,375 voters of Haryana, who had their birthdays on January 1, 2019, and who became voters for the first time, were felicitated at the district level and were administered oath of ethical voting.

He appealed to the voters that they must use their voting right.

Ranjan said this time representatives of 26 countries and four international organizations will observe and learn the electoral process of the Lok Sabha general election and would visit Gurugram and Faridabad on May 11 and 12.

He said that the countries whose representative would be visiting include Afghanistan, Australia, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Fiji, Georgia, Korea, Mexico, Burma, Nepal, South Africa, Suriname, Yemen, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Malaysia, Philippines, Romania, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Besides, four international organizations include Association of World Election Bodies, International Foundation for Electoral System, USA, the Malaysian Commonwealth Study Center and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.