Karnataka Polls: Dreading Long Queues? Check This App Before You Vote
The Karnataka Chief Election Officer is leaving no stone unturned and has launched an app called ‘Chunavana’ to help voters find their polling booths, among other things.
The state that is garnering the spotlight now is Karnataka – as it is gearing up for the state assembly elections. In a bid to encourage citizens to come out and exercise their right to vote, the state has declared May 12 as a paid off for all industries, shops, commercial establishments, banks, schools, colleges, and other organisations.
The Karnataka Chief Election Officer is leaving no stone unturned and has launched an app called ‘Chunavana’ to help voters find their polling booths, among other things.
Screenshot of the app
Available on both Android and iOS operating systems, this application is extremely user-friendly. Once you download the app, the home screen will display a list of contesting candidates, the election schedule, wheelchair booking service, ability to register as a physically challenged voter, the list of officers, and real-time information about the queue at the polling station.
The app has a geographic information system (GIS) of the entire state and lists 56,696 polling stations. Based on your location, the app will also generate information about the nearest police station and health facilities available. It will also help you reach your polling station from your current location.
The app was created after a survey report revealed the following numbers:
• 25% of the people did not vote because they were not aware of their polling stations;
• 17.5 % of urban voters did not vote because of the long queues;
• 7.5 % of urban voters did not vote because they were unaware of the candidates and the constituencies.
Designed and developed by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre (KSRSAC) this app will also have information like population details, voter details, trends in previous elections, winning margins and comparisons, and also the possibility of the results being made available on the app on the counting day.
App screenshot
If you are eligible to cast your vote in the state elections, then ensure that you download this app and make the most of it. Do also tell us about your experience in using it.