EC sets up creches at booths for kids of women voters in Maharashtra

For the first time, temporary creches have been installed in some Assembly segments of Maharashtra to facilitate women voters who come with their kids to vote, an official said on Monday (October 21).

Since many women voters have no option but to carry their children along with them to the polling booths, the Election Commission came up with this initiative, the EC official said.

“The experiment was carried out for the first time during the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, and now the EC has replicated the same concept in Maharashtra polls,” he said.

“This is the first time that the EC has come up with such a facility for women voters, who can now keep their children at the creche for a brief period and exercise their franchise,” he said.

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The initiative was taken after the EC observed how voters travelled to the polling stations and how much average time they spent at the booths, he said.

Most of the urban woman voters were found carrying their children along with them to the booths, he said.

“Since rules prohibit taking children inside the voting room, the EC came up with the concept of setting up temporary creches, having a dedicated Anganwadi worker and equipped with some toys for kids to play,” he said.

The Anganwadi workers are employees of the government-run women and childcare centers.

(With input from agencies.)