Wake Up and Vote
The 2019 General Elections are just around the corner. Are you ready to vote? Have you checked that your name is in the voters list? If these words trip you, or if you find the entire process of registering as a voter intimidating or confusing, here is an article that shall guide you through each and every step involved in becoming a voter. It shall also give you an insight into some voting related vernacular to get you going.
Registration
How to register as a voter? If you are an Indian citizen, an ordinary resident of the polling area of the desired constituency, and were 18 years of age (as of 1st January 2019), then follow this link: https://www.nvsp.in/ to register as a voter. Click on “Apply online for registration of new voter/due to shifting from AC”. This process is to be used if it is your first time registration or you have shifted from another constituency to a new constituency. Once applied, do follow up on your registration status consequently. As far as processes involving government bodies go, this is a genuinely efficient and convenient one!
Voters List
If you complete the registration process successfully, your name shall appear on the voters list. This is officially called the electoral roll and is essentially a detailed record of every person who is registered and eligible to vote. The voters list also includes relevant information used to identify voters and assign them to a specific electoral district and polling station.
Having your name on this list absolutely essential as it is a necessary condition for qualifying as a voter. Even the presence of a voter ID card cannot suffice in the absence of one’s name from this list.
Marking on the voter list often form the basis for the final turnout calculation for each polling station on the day of vote. ‘Turnout’ being an estimate of the number of people who finally cast a vote on the voting day.
Voting Day
The Indian General Elections, 2019 are expected to be held in April and May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. On the day of voting, you are expected to go to the polling booth/centre assigned to you in your constituency where you should go to cast your vote. You may take the help of this link for the same: http://psleci.nic.in/.
Once at the place of voting, you will be expected to produce any one of the allowed identity cards. Most of the photo IDs issued by the government are accepted.
The casting of the vote will be done through an EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) with which VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) will also be connected.
An EVM is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit. The control unit of the EVM is kept with the presiding officer or the polling officer. The balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes. This is done to ensure that the polling officer verifies your identity before allowing you to cast your vote. With the EVM, instead of issuing a ballot paper, the polling officer will press a button in the Control Unit which enables the voter to cast their vote in the Ballot Unit. A list of candidates’ names and symbols will be available on the Ballot Unit with a blue button next to it. You may press the button next to the candidate’s name you wish to vote for.
A VVPAT is a method of providing feedback to voters using an EVM. It prints a small paper-slip containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate for whom vote has been cast, shows it to the voter for 7 seconds, and then stores it in a drop-box. It is readable by the human eye and voters can directly interpret their vote. It allows you the opportunity to verify that your votes are cast as intended and can serve as an measure to bring more transparency and confidence.
Ethics in Voting
As often argued in the subject of ethics, a ‘moral’ act is the one that promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people in short as well as long terms. This, interestingly enough, is not directly reflected in the mandate of democracy; a system of government that would ideally prioritize popular opinion over all other variables involved.
Hence, it becomes important to stress on the ethics of voting. Before we vote, we should have a good idea about our responsibilities towards this right. While casting our choice on the EVM, we must realize the gravity our action carries. The entire essence of a democracy lies in that one moment and hence it must be credited with all the due significance that it holds.
Our votes can make people’s lives better or worse. Rationally thought out voting does lead to a better government; and this is one painfully obvious correlation that one can easily undermine. Good living standards are directly and causally related to the choices that we make on the Election Day.
Ethical voting involves an unbiased and informed scrutiny of the candidates. Being a liberal voter is not always easy. It demands conscious effort and research based decision making. Most voters don’t go through the tediousness of it all and let their ideologies be influenced by peers or family. While deliberations done in this manner are helpful in propagation of mandates, one needs to realize that the final decision is theirs to make. Its independence and autonomy is something to be equal parts savored and obliged.
