Kamrup election district gives trial of voting through virtual tech

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Kamrup Election District organized trial voting using virtual reality technology. This pioneering initiative, taken up for the first time in India, aims to provide a virtual walk-through of the actual polling process.

Under the guidance of Kamrup District Commissioner and District Election Officer Keerthi Jalli, this initiative was inaugurated at Dakhin Kamrup College in Kamrup District as part of the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) initiative.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamrup District Commissioner Keerthi Jalli emphasized the significance of utilizing cutting-edge technology to engage the youth in democracy and make the voting process more captivating. She described the event as a dry run before the actual voting process, providing participants with a virtual glimpse into a polling station and guiding them through the voting procedure.

The students were given Oculus headsets with joy sticks to enable them to walk through. The software, in an interactive female voice, was then directing the user to choose male or female and join the correct queue. The user then selects the document used as ID proof. After choosing one, the user is allowed to enter the actual polling room by a guard. The first polling officer asks the user to submit the document he is carrying and verifies it. After verifying OK, the user moves ahead to the second polling officer's table. The simulation then asks the user to place a hand on the table to mark the left index. The user is given a voter slip, which he can move to a third polling officer, who then allows the user to go into the secret compartment to cast his vote. The simulation ends with the user being encouraged to click a selfie with his index finger. The concept of trial voting through virtual reality technology was developed by the Kamrup District Administration with Dr. Keyur Sorathia, Associate Professor of Dept. of Design, IIT Guwahati.

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