Different coloured ballots for lawmakers

It will be green-coloured ballot papers for Members of Parliament and pink for MLAs who vote in the presidential election on July 17.

In case the NDA and the opposition field their own candidates and none withdraws till July 1 evening, the Election Commission will initiate the process of “final printing” of ballot papers as a contest would then become imminent. The value of an MLA’s vote depends on the population of the state he or she represents. But the value of the vote of an MP does not vary — it is 708.

Hence, the different colour of ballot papers will help the returning officer count the votes based on the value. The total value of the electoral college is 10,98,903.

The ballot boxes will be brought to Delhi for counting on July 20. The electoral college which elects the president through the system of proportional representation comprises elected MPs and members of state legislative assemblies — a total of 4,896 voters including 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs.

While 233 are elected members of the Rajya Sabha, 543 are from the Lok Sabha.

In a set of directions to the states, the panel has said while “the ballots for elected members of both houses of Parliament shall be printed on green paper, those for elected members of legislative assemblies shall be printed on pink paper.”