This was my first time voting after at least 12 years. We checked our names in the online portal to make sure we were on the list and ventured out early morning to beat the Delhi heat. Although we didn’t realize we should have got our booth and serial number to make the process smoother. After the frustration of looking through the paper list at the booth, we resorted to the online portal again on our mobile phones and found ourselves. After this experience I decided to stay at the information desks to help out people who couldn’t find their names or booth locations.

The enthusiasm at the voting booth in Malikpur was refreshing. When people didn’t find their names in the electoral rolls, they came to us to check online. Some brought their AAdhar card. When we told them we need election card and the EPIC number to search in the online portal they felt dejected. At this point, I thought we had lost them. Many were getting late to go to their jobs. They were mostly daily wage workers, maids, and people who depend on their work for daily bread and butter. But they went home and brought the election cards. Made sure they had the ‘Parachi’ and voted.

There was some story floating that after filing form 7 people who have election cards but their names were missing can vote. We gave that information and told people to report back if that worked. Nobody reported back.

Couple of women kept insisting that somebody should go with them to the booth so that they can tell the officers to help them vote. They clearly didn’t trust that just going by themselves will get the work done. Clearly they learnt it from previous experiences with government officials somewhere.

People were flumoxed that they can’t vote with AAdhar card. Many people who had now made Delhi their home had changed their address on AAdhar or got new AAdhar for this purpose. Nobody told them that they had to move their name from the previous constituency to Delhi or register as a new voter if they hadn’t voted before. It was disheartening that nothing can be done at this point. I am thinking of working with the election commission to see if I can go door to door and get people from Malikpur gaon registered for the next election.