Voting Rights
Introduction-
Vote definition: To cast a ballot, raise your hand, declare your support or opposition to someone or something, etc., is to participate in a political election.Voting can be a way for a group, such as an electorate or gathering, to come to a consensus or express an opinion, usually after talks, debates, or election campaigns.A majority vote can be a formal declaration of support for or opposition to a motion (such as a proposed resolution), a ballot question, a specific candidate, group of candidates, or political party. Voters and/or elected officials may express one, several, or all of their choices when casting a preferential ballot. Many nations use a vote during elections as a means of preventing to protect voters’ political privacy and stop them from being intimidated.Voting frequently takes place at a polling site; in some nations, like Australia, voting is optional; in others, voting is required.The committee of India (ECI), an independent and permanent constitutional body, is in charge of holding free and fair elections throughout the Union and States of India. The committee passed the Representation of the People Act after being granted constitutional authority under Article 324. The organisation oversees elections for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state legislative councils, legislative assemblies, and hence the President and vice chairmanships of the nation. Elections to urban bodies inside the states, such as Municipalities and Panchayats, are unaffected by the ECI. The Country The task of holding impartial, fair, and free elections for local government entities within the state is handled by a committee.
Details of the concept-
Composition of committee: The following regulations regarding the composition of the electoral commission have been created under Article 324 of the Constitution:The Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners are chosen by the President.The CEC serves as the Election Commission’s Chairman when the other EC is thus appointed.After discussing with the committee, the President may additionally appoint regional commissioners to assist the Commission.
The President of the nation will decide each commissioner’s term in office and, consequently, their working circumstances.
Director of Elections (CEO): Each state must have a CEO to oversee the election in each of the State/UTs who has been nominated or designated by the ECI in conjunction with the government.
District Election Officer (DEO): The District Election Officer (DEO) in consultation with the government. The ECI also nominates or designates a politician of the state. The CEO has overall supervision and control over the DEO’s work.
Election Registration Officer (ERO): The ERO is responsible for creating the electoral rolls for each parliamentary and assembly district. District Magistrate is now the party to whom an appeal against the ERO’s decision during the electoral rolls update must be made.Returning Officer (RO): An RO is responsible for overseeing the election process within a constituency and certifying the election of a candidate. Because the RO consults with the government, the ECI nominates or designates a politician from the government or agency.Regulation-making authority under the Act is granted to the Central government, who may use this authority after consulting the ECI.
Voting rights awareness: It has been customary to speak negatively about any candidate or elected official in a legislative assembly or the parliament. The focus of the blame is then narrowed down to the “System” and how democracy isn’t functioning as it ought to. To deepen the democratic roots and convey some changes within the system, “What the people can do” has, however, received very little attention. An analogous requirement exists for the people of India to participate in choosing the best leader for their representation, just as it is the duty of the elected leader to serve the needs of the electorate. People now have a powerful right, and that is the right to vote. voting entails the motto “Of the people, for the people, and by the people” is the cornerstone of democracy. Therefore, if a person really wants to make a difference and help grow their country, they must vote rather than just using it as a holiday
voting-related issues voters encounter difficulties in India:
There are a few issues in India that stand in the way of having free and fair elections. Several of these include:
The rigging of voting machines: Some major political parties have a definite advantage in that they will ‘buy’ votes through bribery using power that goes beyond money. Smaller parties are at a disadvantage even during the campaign because they lack the resources or clout of the larger parties.In India, populism is a significant issue as well because parties there use caste politics, giving the ‘ticket’ to someone from a scheduled caste who is guaranteed to win in their district.This undermines the religious intent of reservations while also consolidating authority within a single caste.
How do I vote?
There are two ways to vote, which are described below:
Going to the booth: One can make their choice for the election by going to the voting booth. This may make it clear that no vote on that person’s behalf was cast in error.
Using a mail-in ballot: This ballot was submitted via post. This service is available in particular to those who are unable to visit the voting booth on their own due to an unavoidable scenario, such as military personnel, election officials on duty, police officers on duty, individuals in preventive custody, etc.
Conclusion-
India is a developing nation, thus making voting mandatory will improve our democracy. It is time to turn that RIGHT into a DUTY. Voting is a fundamental right that is essential to the operation of our government. It cannot, therefore, be ignored or simply waived. Simply put, it cannot be justified as a right to not vote. Voting must be viewed as a responsibility, not a right. By electing government representatives who can make appropriate changes in response to public demands and work to ensure effective government operation, voters have the power to shape a better tomorrow. Compulsory voting may also appear to be a slight restriction on one’s freedom and right to vote. But, at At the same time, it will increase our independence, something a developing nation like India desperately needs.
Case law and refrences- The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India petition was heard by a bench led by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, and Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Friday, September 27, 2013, and the Supreme Court of India issued a landmark decision granting Indian citizens the right to reject all candidates in elections. The Apex Court additionally directed the Election Commission to make sure that the Electronic Voting Machines and ballot papers would feature a button that would allow voters to select “none of the above” as an option, and that the ability to do so would be protected.