Proxy voting for NRIs may face many challenges
Evolving a foolproof system to ascertain the authenticity of the proxy selected to vote will not be easy
With the government introducing a bill to the effect in Parliament, more than 25 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are registered voters in the country could exercise their franchise in elections held in India through a proxy while staying abroad. The move to relax the residence requirement and actual personal participation for NRIs through an amendment to the Representation of People Act is a step towards Internet voting.
The need for proxy voting and postal ballot was recognised to remove the hardships faced by certain voters because of frequent transfers, especially government servants and armed services personnel. Although the mechanics of proxy voting are yet not clear, any implementation mechanism for such a move has to be carefully crafted. It is necessary that the Election Commission discharges this enormous responsibility by educating the voters and officials concerned.
At the same time, it will have to impress upon voters the need to preserve the secrecy of the ballot by providing an individual security code. Another challenge could be devising a foolproof system to ascertain the genuineness of the proxy selected by an NRI for casting the vote.
Another note of caution: At present, the expenditure of candidates and parties is watched closely within the geographical limits of the constituency where the election is held. But it will be tough to keep a watch on expenditure incurred outside the country. Perhaps a declaration should be attached to the ballot affirming non-acceptance of any gain from the candidate or political parties. One hopes this will not open up new ways to bribe voters. The candidate and party should mention the money spent abroad for inclusion in the final statement of expenditure.
Proxy voting has existed in our country for the armed forces personnel for some time now. One problem that surfaced during its implementation included making sure that the ballot paper reached the places where the voter was working, particularly for those posted in forward areas.
Eventually, even as postal ballot and proxy voting are extended as options to the voter, to avoid the logistical bottlenecks regarding timely availability of ballot paper and misuse of proxy vote, it is better to consider electronic voting. This would require meticulous planning and consultation with all stakeholders. Even if internet voting is introduced, the commission will have to make sure that adequate safeguards are in place since the potential for irregularities in any such system is immense.
Despite all this, if the proposal works efficiently, we could consider extending similar voting options to senior citizens and the physically challenged.