Srinagar: About four lakh teenagers in the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir may get the first taste of vibrant democracy when they will cast their votes in the seven phased Assembly polls in the state beginning November 17.

According to the Election Commission, 3.69 lakh youngsters between the age of 18 and 19 years will cast their first vote to elect their representatives in the 87-member state assembly.

Not only the teenagers, some of the youths in the age group of 20 to 29 years are also the first timers. There are 21.70 lakh voters in the age group.

Jammu and Kashmir has a total 64,97,593 voters of whom 31,45,446 are women. Besides, there are 40,228 service personnel -- 6,995 of them are women -- posted in different parts of the country and enrolled in the electoral roll of the sensitive border state.

The electors will cast their votes in 8,109 polling stations set up in 7,211 locations across the state which has typical geography -- the high altitude Ladakh region, the Kashmir valley and the Jammu plains.

Among the voters, 78,339 are in the age group of 80 or more years, 2.09 lakh are between 70 to 79 years and 4.44 lakh between 60 and 69 years.

Source : PTI