Karnataka Assembly elections: What is Electhon? EC-devised way to make young Indians vote

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 dates were announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 29. According to the schedule, voting for all the 224 seats will take place in a single phase on May 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 13 and the results will be declared simultaneously.

The term of the current Karnataka Assembly will expire on May 24. The state has 5.21 crore people who are eligible to vote and elect 224 Members of Legislative Assembly.

What is Hackathon-Electhon 2023?

Among the key announcements made by CEC Rajiv Kumar was Hackathon - Electhon 2023. 

The Election Commission of India is holding Electhon 2023 to address important concerns in the electoral process, including the registration of new voters in the electoral roll and improving the engagement of urban and youth voters in elections.

The 30-hour offline hackathon is a platform for individuals to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and collaborate to elevate the electoral process in India. Its primary objective is to encourage the development of innovative and creative solutions to these challenges, utilising technology and the skills of the participants.

Electhon - 2023 Hackathon is open to the Students, technologist, freelancers and professional developer community. There is no participation fee. 

How to get the participation approved in Hackathon Electhon 2023?

The organising team will approve and confirm your participation. Shortlisted teams will receive a confirmation email and it will reflect on the user dashboard.

The 'Special Mention' Prize recipient will be determined by the jury or expert panel on the day of the Hackathon, based on their judgement of the most deserving team"

Hackathon mentors and jury panel

Ujjwal Ghosh (Indian Administrative Service), Rajendra Cholan (IAS) and Surya Sen (Indian Forest Service), will serve as mentors for the Hackathon-Electhon 2023.

On the other hand Prof. Debabrata Das (Director, IIIT-Bengaluru), Prof. Bharadwaj Amrutur (IISc, Bengaluru) and V Ponnuraj (IAS) will serve as jury panel for the Hackathon-Electhon 2023.