Heart of the matter

The conventional practice in polling booths is to mark the index figure of the voter with indelible ink after the vote has been cast. In the recently concluded Karnataka Assembly polls, it was the ring finger that was marked. When a curious voter asked an election official about this change, she said: "It is for the same reason the wedding ring is put on that finger. It's a matter of the heart. It only shows how emotionally attached we Indians are to the electoral process."