REMOTE VOTING FACILITY
CONTEXT :
Recently Election Commission of India (ECI) announced a model to conduct remote voting for addressing loss of voting franchise by the migrant workers and others.
WHAT IS REMOTE VOTING?
- It allows electors to vote from locations other than the polling station assigned to the location where they are registered to vote.
- They are stand-alone, non-networked systems, allowing voters from multiple constituencies to vote using the same machine.
- Developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).
- The location can be either foreign country or from within the country.
- It caters to both electronic voting and non-electronic voting mechanisms.
VOTING PROCEDURE
- After verifying a voter’s identity, their Voter Identity card will be scanned with a public display showing the constituency details and candidates.
- The voter then votes and each vote will be stored constituency-wise in the control unit of the voting machine.
- Based on the constituency number read from the voter’s Constituency card, the Ballot Unit Overlay Display (BUOD) will display the required candidates. These cards will be read using a barcode scanning system.
- The voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) system is expected to work along the same lines as the new technology.
BENEFITS OF REMOTE VOTING FACILITY
- As per the 2011 census, there are nearly 45.36 crores (forty-five point three six) migrants in India (both intra and interstate) – nearly 37% of the country’s population.
- These migrants are unable to travel to vote, denying a large chunk of the population its franchise, going against the EC’s motto – “No voter left behind”.
- It will increase the overall voter turnout and thus better democratic functioning of electoral process.
- It will also help arrangement of voting for voters who are unable to travel far because of factors like old age or disability.
- The feasibility of blockchain technology is being explored for effective e-voting.
- It will also help in addressing voting apathy in urban areas as ECI also noted the concern about low voter turnout in some of the metropolitan/city areas.
CHALLENGES IN REMOTE VOTING
- MAY HARM REGIONAL PARTIES : As regional parties lack enough cadre based strength to deploy at remote voting locations, for political canvassing as well as monitoring the remote voting process. On the other hand, National Parties are at benefit as they are having nation-wide cadre of political workers.
- SANCTITY ISSUE : As various countries have rejected EVMs for paper-based ballots, this move may have the potential to raise further questions on the sanctity of the electoral process.
- Appointment of large number of personnel for supervision at different remote locations.
- LEGAL CHALLENGES : As this move will require amendments to Representation Of Peoples Act of 1950 & 1951 and other rules.
- DEFINITION : Election Commission has also expressed concern that several things have to be defined like ‘migrant voter’, ‘ordinary residence’, ‘temporary absence’ etc before the implementation.
- Internet Connection & Malware Security : There is a dependency on voters having a reliable internet connection. As Internet penetration and availability and use of e-government services in some countries are limited
- ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES :
- Implementing model code in locations outside the poll-bound State
- Ensuring secrecy of voting at remote locations
- Preventing impersonation
- Deciding number and location of remote polling booths.
WAY FORWARD
- First of all Political consensus among political parties and various legal and political stakeholders is a must before the introduction of Remote Voting facility.
- SANCTITY MATTERS : Use of online voting system would be of no use if the government or general public are not confident in its security, integrity, and accuracy.
- The process has to be fool-proof and error free if it wants to strengthen democratic system and for the realization of ECI’s motto of “NO VOTER LEFT BEHIND”.
The main objective is to increase voter turnout and strengthen India’s democratic system overall. The remote voting facility will improve electoral turn-outs by enabling migrants in different parts of India to vote, without having to physically visit the voting booths in their home constituencies.
Syllabus : MAINS, GS 2 Representation Of People Act, Indian Polity
