A step towards inclusion: Institute of Mental Health residents set to vote in T.N. Assembly polls again

Ensuring equal participation for persons with mental illness, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is preparing for the fourth elections, with 100 of its residents, all set to vote in the upcoming Assembly polls on April 23. Not only residents of IMH, but those from NGO-run facilities, including The Banyan and Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), will also be voting.

It was in 2019 that the over two centuries old IMH scripted history after 156 of its residents voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha polls. At an auxiliary polling booth set up on the campus, they cast their votes for the Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency. This was followed by the 2021 Assembly polls when 84 residents voted. At least 50 residents exercised their democratic right to vote in the 2024 general elections.