Report on baseline survey recommends multi-channel, multi-stakeholder approach to strengthen voter participation

Should voting be made compulsory? Should women consult male members or elders before voting in elections? These issues, among several posed in a baseline survey on voter attitudes and knowledge levels in Kerala, have drawn some interesting responses.

Overall, around 72% of the respondents strongly disagreed/disagreed with the idea that women should consult elderly members of their households or elders before casting their vote. Across age groups, 40% of respondents strongly disagreed with this statement, with the highest proportion observed in the 36-45 age group and the lowest among the 18-25 group. A little over 12% agreed/strongly agreed that women should, in fact, consult male members or elders.

The statement whether voting should be made compulsory drew mixed responses. Comparatively, more responses were supportive of this argument with around 64% either agreeing or strongly agreeing.

The ‘Baseline Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of Citizens for General Elections to Legislative Assembly, Kerala – 2026’ was conducted with the objectives decided by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It was carried out by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) with the support of the Centre for Management Development (CMD). A total of 2,688 households were covered in the survey.

On security threats during elections, a significant majority of the respondents (73.85%) felt that no security threat existed during elections. “Though most of the districts show this pattern, respondents in Kannur and Kasaragod districts reported comparatively higher concerns regarding security threat during elections. The semi urban – hilly areas show the highest perception of threat, with 33% of respondents expressing at least some concern. In contrast, urban areas report the lesser levels of perceived threat, with over 75% stating no threat at all,” the survey report said.

Recommendations

Observing that the survey highlighted key issues affecting voter awareness, participation, and overall electoral experience, the report has recommended “a multi-channel, multi-stakeholder approach combining awareness, facilitation, media outreach, integrity safeguards, and trust-building to bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen voter participation”.

It has recommended targeted voter education campaigns, simplification and dissemination of information on new election-related initiatives, incorporation of electoral information into school, college and university curricula and special enrolment drives in universities and colleges before elections. Year-round voter registration drives at local self-government institutions and strengthening outreach to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) by increasing booth-level officer (BLO)-level personal contacts also have been recommended.

“The insights derived from the study will deepen understanding of the electorate’s perspectives, identify existing gaps, and guide the development of focused interventions. These efforts will help ensure that elections in Kerala remain inclusive, accessible, and truly reflective of the people’s will,” CEO (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar said in the preface to the survey report.