India's Election Commission Pilots Initiative to Offer Remote Voting, Aiming to Boost Turnout and Increase Inclusivity

As first reported by Nikkei Asia, India's Election Commission is rolling out a new initiative to provide remote voting for hundreds of millions of domestic migrants, a ground-breaking step to make the country's democracy more inclusive but one that some critics warn could be laden with complications.

Dwindling Voter Turnout

Many migrants face disenfranchisement because they cannot travel to polling places where they are registered to vote, as required by law. According to the 2011 census, 37% of Indian nationals, or over 450 million people, were migrants who would have difficulty returning home to vote due to health or financial reasons.

With nine states voting in 2023 and a general election in 2024, the commission expects that making it easier for these people to vote will help boost dwindling turnout.

Based on the same Nikkei Asia report, the last two general elections in 2014 and 2019 recorded rates of 66.4% and 67.4%, respectively, prompting concerns about nearly 300 million "missing" voters. A 2020 electronic voting system for military service members and other "service" voters has so far failed to pique public interest, triggering a hunt for broader solutions.

The Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM), a modified version of the present Electronic Voting Machine, is the Election Commission's solution.

The novel approach will allow voters to vote in up to 72 constituencies from a single place. A remote voter will simply need to apply to their home constituency prior to an election. They will be able to utilize an RVM once they have been verified.

Doubts Raised

In Dec. 2022, the Election Commission announced the development of a prototype for a multi-constituency remote electronic voting machine (RVM).

The Hindu reports that the ECI has asked all recognized national and state political parties in India to attend an RVM demonstration on January 16 and to give written feedback on the new system by January 31.

However, there are concerns about how hard it would be to set up RVMs in remote locations, as well as the possibility of fraud and intimidation.

Moreover, some see legal, administrative, and technological challenges ahead. For starters, the term "remote voting" lacks a clear legal definition, including what locations outside one's constituency, district, or state would qualify. Nikkei tells us that the Indian National Congress party has opposed the commission's proposal, saying the electoral body should first ease the opposition party's concerns about EVM misuse.

The Representation of the People's Act of 1950 and 1951, The Conduct of Election Rules of 1961, and The Registration of Electors Rules of 1960 are among the laws and rules that need to be amended to allow distance voting.

Citing allegations of irregularities in the recent Gujarat assembly elections, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement, "Now imagine if these suspicious patterns can be extended via a multi-constituency voting machine to other locations." This would seriously undermine trust in the system.

Despite these challenges, the Election Commission remains optimistic about the potential for remote voting to increase participation and inclusivity in India's democracy. It remains to be seen whether the RVM pilot program will be successful.