NRIS can vote from abroad in 2021 polls: ECI

TRIVANDRUM: The dream of Non-resident Indians (NRIS) to cast their votes in elections from abroad is being fulfilled with the Election Commission of India (ECI) saying it’s ready.

The ECI has reportedly approached the federal government to permit the NRIS to exercise their franchise through an electronically transmited postal vote.

Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament, had cleared a bill to this effect, but it got lapsed as it failed to reach the upper house before last year’s general elections.

The ECI last week told the law ministry that it was “technically and administratively” ready to extend the Electronically Transmited Postal Ballot

System (ETPBS) to NRIS. It said they could vote in next year’s state elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, which is home to three million expatriates.

Currently, NRIS can enrol as voters, but they need to be present in their constituency at the time of elections to cast their ballot.

Under ETPBS, the postal ballot is dispatched electronically and returned via ordinary mail with the authorisation of Indian missions abroad.

To extend this facility, the government only needs to amend the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, which doesn’t require Parliament nod as officials already exercise this.

Any NRI interested in voting through the postal ballot will have to inform the returning officer (RO) at least five days ater the notification of the election.

The RO will dispatch the ballot paper electronically, which the overseas voter should send back ater marking their preference on the printout along with a declaration.

It also needs the ate station by an officer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative.

The demand to enfranchise over a billion Indian expatriates was pending before the authorities for the past six years.

The Uae-based Dr Shamsheer Vayalil first moved the Supreme Court of India in March 2014 seeking the absentee ballot.

The court heard all sides and pulled up the federal government several times since for denying a sizable population their democratic rights.

The country witnessed two national elections and many state and local polls ater that, but their dream of casting votes from their host nations remained elusive.

The enfranchisement would make a massive difference in Kerala as they will make up roughly 10 per cent of its electorate.

Of the five national parties that responded to the panel’s query, the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the principal opposition Congress party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had backed the idea.