Govt set to accept NRI voting through electronic means

The government is set to accept the recommendations of a committee which has favoured voting for non-resident Indians (NRIs) through electronic means.

The government, which has firmed up its stand, is set to tell the Supreme Court soon that it supports e-ballot for NRIs, a senior government functionary told PTI.

The issue is likely to come up before the apex court in the coming days.

A committee comprising officials from the Election Commission (EC), law ministry and the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had taken the opinions from all sections before submitting a report to the apex court last year. Any move to allow NRIs use proxy voting on the lines of defence personnel and e-ballot facility will require changes in the law.

Under the proposal, NRIs will be sent ballot papers electronically and they will have to return it to poll authorities physically. Chief Electioner Commissioner V S Sampath had recently said MEA was opposed to the idea of allowing NRIs to vote at embassies as it will be difficult to allow such an exercise because, in some countries, the NRI population could be equal to the local populace and it will be difficult to hold such an exercise at the embassy. The functionary said misuse of the process can be checked by devising safeguards.

"The committee is of the view that e-postal ballot, where blank postal ballot is transferred electronically to NRIs and returned by post, can be employed after validation of the process and pilot implementation in one or two constituencies and then be scaled up for parliamentary elections if found feasible, practicable and meeting the objectives of free and fair elections," said the report given to the Supreme Court.

The 50-page report was prepared by a 12-member committee led by Vinod Zutshi, Deputy Election Commissioner, for 'Exploring feasibility of alternative options for voting by overseas electors'.

The report is the result of a public interest litigation filed in the Supreme Court against the "inherent inequality" created by Section 20(A) of the Representation of the Peoples (RP) Act which insists on the physical presence of an NRI in his local constituency at the time of voting.

According to the EC website, after enrolment, an overseas elector will be able to cast his or her vote in an election in the constituency, in person, at the polling station provided for the part where he is registered as an overseas elector.

According to the provisions of the RP Act, a person who is a citizen of India and who has not acquired the citizenship of any other country and is otherwise eligible to be registered as a voter and who is absent from his place of ordinary residence in India owing to employment, education or otherwise is eligible to be registered as a voter in the constituency in which his place of residence in India, as mentioned in his passport, is located.