With Elections around the corner for India, the largest democracy in the world, many of us have doubts on how to vote. We believe that the party/candidate we are voting for will work at our local level to improve our very basic needs such as better roads, proper garbage disposal, resolving water issues, etc. Many candidates make such promises as well and later disappear blaming other authorities for non-action. This happens because many of us are not aware that the responsibilities are divided amongst many government bodies elected at different times handling responsibilities at various levels. We however have our part to play to ensure smooth functioning at a local level, state level and national level.
The Indian Electoral System:
We have 3 types of elections in which the citizens of India can actively participate by exercising their votes.
Parliamentary General Elections or Lok Sabha Elections:
These elections are held every 5 years to elect the 543 members of the Lok Sabha who are called Members of Parliament (MP). The party which gains the majority of the votes or forms a coalition with other parties to reach a majority, chooses a candidate from their party to lead the Government of India as The Prime Minister. The Parliament Members meet at the Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi, and address matters related to creation of new laws, removing or improving the existing laws, which have an impact on all citizens of India. These are the elections that are going to happen starting April 19th in multiple phases.
State Assembly Elections or Vidhana Sabha Elections:
These elections are held every 5 years to elect Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA). The party that wins the majority in these elections chooses a candidate to lead the Government as The Chief Minister of that state. They meet in their respective states, and address matters related to the creation of new laws, removing or improving the existing laws that affect citizens living in that state.
Local Government Bodies Elections:
These elections also happen every 5 years to elect Municipal body and the Panchayat members. They are responsible for addressing issues at the local level and depending on how much the state has decentralised power, they can take action and resolve various issues that impact locally.
Therefore if you vote in the General Elections expecting a change in the Local governance, then that will not happen till the next Local Body Elections. Even though the term for all is 5 years the elections for different levels happen at different times.
By-Elections:
By-Elections or By polls are conducted if a current Member of Parliament (MP) or a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) either dies or resigns from their post, to fill their vacant position.
How to Vote and Check Registration
Every State and Union Territory is divide into constituencies. The number of constituencies is based on different factors and determines the number of seats that are allotted to the state in the 543 member Lok Sabha that can go up to 552. For example Tamil Nadu has 39 constituencies which means it has 39 seats in the Lok Sabha. Each constituency is represents by a candidate from across various parties.
Know the Election date in your constituency:
The 2024 elections will be conducted in 7 phases as follows. Find out in which phase your constituency comes under.
Know Your Candidate:
You can get details about any candidate standing in your constituency, their assets, cases against them if any and other details here Know Your Candidate. The Election Commission of India has also created an app to check out these details.
Download App:
Understand Party Manifestos:
Manifestos are the promises made by the parties/candidates about what they commit to address if they win the elections. You can access manifestos of parties on their respective websites.
Ensure Your Name is on the Electoral List:
Your name in the Electoral List is mandatory for you to vote so you need to make sure its there. Visit Election Commission of India’s website https://elections24.eci.gov.in and with the help of your EPIC number or mobile number you can get all your voting details like polling booth, constituency, polling date, etc. The website maybe buggy on some browsers and works best on Chrome. If however you have Safari browser you can set a reminder for the voting date as shown below.
What If your name is missing from the electoral roll?:
You can address the matter with the District Election Officer of your district, who should assist you in resolving the issue. Alternatively, visit the polling center specified on your voter ID on the day of voting and explain the situation, presenting your voter ID card. They may permit you to cast a provisional vote, which will be cross-checked later with the rolls. However, in my father’s case, despite having a voter ID, he was not permitted to vote as his name was missing from the list. Officials informed us that voting would only be allowed if the name is absent in the physical book but is registered online. The only option left for my father is to reapply for a new voter ID to participate in the next election. If, however, you are fortunate enough to be allowed to vote, the election official will also notify you of any additional steps required to ensure your ballot counts. Provisional voters will receive a Provisional Identification Number (PIN), which can be used to verify the status of their provisional ballot, available at least 10 days after the election date.
What If your name is there on the roll but you have’nt RECEIVED your voter id?:
You can show show other proof of id’s and cast your vote. However you must have your EPIC number with you or check here if your name is on the electoral list to share as proof. Check out this video to know more about the voting process.
Electoral Procedures
While voting at your designated polling booth you can exercise the following, if need arises:
- Tender Vote: If an impostor has cast your vote, demand a ‘tender vote’ and cast your own.
- NOTA: Every vote matters, even if you wish to not vote for any specific party or candidate you can still exercise your voting right by casting a negative vote “None of the above” (NOTA) option. If the majority votes are for NOTA, the region comes under presidential jurisdiction and is treated with laws similar to a national territory
You can also have the following options to vote if you belong to a certain category or are eligible due to age restrictions or disabled.
- Postal Voting: Certain categories of people, such as those working in the Union armed forces and state police, as well as their spouses, and employees of the Government of India officially posted abroad, can register for postal voting. These individuals, known as “Service voters,” are eligible. Additionally, physically challenged individuals and those above the age of 80 years can utilize postal voting. People in preventive detention also have the right to vote, but those who are imprisoned cannot
- Vote from home: People above the age of 80 or those physically challenged can cast their votes from the comfort of their homes using ballot papers.[13] To avail of this facility, eligible individuals must register with the designated booth-level officer at least 10 days prior to the election date by filling the Form 12-D. The entire polling procedure will be documented through photographs and videos by a dedicated team of five officers. The decision to vote from home cannot be reversed later once chosen.
National General elections are very crucial for India, to ensure a stable, decisive and accountable government for the next 5 years. A political party which may have a big impact in your state/region may not necessarily have the same impact at a national level and vice versa. However small parties and independent candidates can have a huge role to play in the scenario where no one party wins majority seats. Parties will form coalitions to secure the majority and establish the next government. That’s why every vote counts, even if you don’t want to support any political party or candidate. The power is in your hands to choose the future of our country.
This article will be updated based on everybody’s experience. So please do share your experiences!
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