Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Can NRIs vote?

With the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections fast approaching, the media is abuzz with elections and polling related topics.

But there is a lot of misinformation about how NRIs can vote in the forthcoming elections.

A few months back, the Lok Sabha passed a bill that allowed proxy voting by NRIs. The measure followed the concerns that NRIs also need the proxy voting facility to cast their votes in the same way the service personnel make use of this arrangement.

The Ministry of External Affairs has estimated that over 3.10 crores of NRIs are living across different countries in the world. The Lok Sabha felt it was necessary to respect the contributions of these NRIs who are doing well in different parts of the globe and give them voting rights in India. While framing the rules that will allow the NRIs to vote through a proxy, the government said it will also ensure that the system is not misused by anyone.

The EC cautions about fake news

On its official website, the Election Commission has issued a warning not to believe the fake news being circulated in the media that the NRIs holding a valid Indian passport can vote online in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. It has confirmed that there is no online voting facility given to any category of voter as per the present state of things.

How an NRI can vote?

At present, there are two remote voting facilities available in India namely postal ballot and proxy voting. Postal ballot lets the voter vote via post. This facility is available to the armed forces personnel, electors facing preventive detention and those people on election duty. The proxy voting facility is at present made available for the armed personnel, police personnel and the government officials who are posted outside of India. This arrangement lets the concerned individual authorize another person living in his or her area to cast a vote on their behalf.

The bill that wished to extend the proxy voting to NRIs was passed in the Lok Sabha, but could not get approved in the Rajya Sabha and hence got lapsed.

Since India does not support online voting and hence the proxy voting bill could not come through successfully, the only way an NRI can vote during the upcoming elections is to personally visit the polling booth and exercise his or her franchise.

Registering of overseas voters

NRIs can vote in their hometown by visiting the polling booth personally on the date of polling after registering as an overseas voter. The form is available online at http://ecisveep.nic.in/voters/overseas-voters/. Alternatively, it can also be collected from any nearest Indian mission.

The duly filled in form with the supporting documents asked can be supported to the Electoral Registration Officer in the respective constituency either in person or via post. Once the details are verified, the ECI will approve the candidate as an overseas voter. This candidate needs to get an EPIC card upon returning to India by re-registering as a general voter.