Voting for the Lok Sabha elections will begin from April 19 and seven phases of voting will continue till June 1. The Election Commission is making every effort to ensure that eligible voters go to the booth and vote to exercise their franchise. For this, the Election Commission also runs many types of awareness campaigns. But the Constitution also gives every voter the right not to vote. But most voters are not aware of their right to ‘refusal to vote’ even after verifying their identity before the presiding officer.
This right is different from NOTA
Let us clarify here that this right is different from ‘NOTA’ (no vote for any of the above) and it can be exercised under ‘Rule 49-O of the Rules for Conducting Elections, 1961’. This provision states that a voter can abstain from voting even after reaching the polling station. While on one hand the ‘NOTA’ option gives the voters the right to express no confidence in any candidate, on the other hand the ‘refusal to vote’ option gives them the opportunity to stay away from the voting process itself.
What is this rule?
Let us inform that Rule ’49-O’ section directs the Presiding Officer that when a voter refuses to vote inside the booth even after his identity is verified, the officer will enter a note in this regard in Form 17A and the voter Will get the signature or thumb impression put. A senior Election Commission official said, “This is not a new right. This has been happening for some time now. However, voters have very little information about this. “Most people don’t even know about this option.”
Will the election results be affected?
The official clarified that abstention will certainly have no role in influencing the election result and the candidate who secures the highest number of valid votes, irrespective of his victory margin, will be declared elected. . On whether the commission will make voters aware about this option, the official said, “There is no such plan at this time.”
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