Delhi Will Launch An Exclusive Campaign To Enroll Transgender People And Sex Workers As Voters

According to officials, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Delhi has started the process of setting up special camps to register transgender people, sex workers, and vulnerable women as voters.
The CEO’s office recently advised district electoral offices to hold these special camps for including sex workers, impoverished, and homeless women in the voters list because Lok Sabha elections are slated for next year.

Third gender

In accordance with the Transgender Persons (Protection Rights) Act of 2019, transgender voters are currently listed as “Third Gender” on the electoral roll. As a result, the notification added, they may be referred to as “Transgender” in accordance with the Act.

The district election officers have also been advised to begin a process for mapping transgender in the city to identify and enroll people left out on the electoral rolls, according to a senior officer, in order to promote inclusivity in the electoral process.

Inclusion of transgender people

The inclusion of transgender people in the political process through outreach efforts and raising awareness has also been advised in order to entice them to vote.
According to the Census 2011, there were 4,213 transgender people living in the city, according to officials. They added that just slightly more than 1,100 of them were registered to vote.
According to the officials, there is currently no estimate of the exact population of the city.

These suggestions, according to them, were made following the National Advisory Committee on Inclusive Election’s (NACIE) inaugural meeting, which took place earlier in June of this year.
According to the officials, there are many obstacles that prevent sex workers from voting in elections, including the lack of address proof, the Booth Level Officers’ (BLOs’) refusal to accept their ballots because of their mobility, and their inability to leave their immediate environment.

Enrollment camps for sex workers

The district election authorities have been urged to run enrollment camps in the regions with a community of sex workers.

The electoral administration promised to make further efforts to ensure that sex workers, women in difficult situations, such as the poor, those residing in shelter houses or nari niketan, and homeless women, participated in the elections.

They stated that in order to assure their election participation through a multifaceted strategy, the district electoral officers have been urged to organise camps for their enrollment and enlist the assistance of the NGOs.