The Election Commission of Karnataka has embarked on a seemingly novel route to encourage women voters to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Legislative Assembly Elections scheduled for May 12. To this end, the Election Commission has carried out extensive research of the 225 (224 Elected, 1 Nominated) constituencies and arrived at statistics that have convinced them to set up Pink or ‘Sakhi’ (friend/companion polling booths) in constituencies with a sizeable population of female voters. Adorned in pink, these booths will be exclusive to female voters.
The specially designed polling stations will be “manned” by an all-female staff including presiding officers, supervisors and security personnel, all dressed in pink uniforms. The booths will be decorated with pink tablecloths, balloons and other accessories to make the whole experience welcoming and comforting. The proposal envisages a friendly space for children as well as separate utilities such as restrooms for women. Other attractions may reportedly include selfie booths.