NOTA

None of the above. All of us have probably faced this dilemma at the polling booth. Is the candidate worth my vote? Out of despair, we may have randomly stamped the ballot paper, many may have decided against voting at the last moment and left the booth in a huff. Though Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961 clearly states that citizens have the option to choose ‘none of the above’, they can only record their views in a register. Now, citizens are demanding for an additional button in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) which will allow them to exercise the ‘none of the above’ option. Their contention is that while a voter has a right to vote, she also has a right not to vote. And when you feel that none of the candidates is worth electing, then you can punch a button on the voting machine to show that you choose none of the candidates. This move requires an amendment to the law as the repercussions are huge. If 50% of the voters in a constituency opt for ‘none of the above’, it should call for a re-election. And the rider is: the candidates in the fray should not contest again as they have been already rejected by the voters. Obviously, this would not find much favour among politicians. This is similar to the zero movement started by a Tamil Nadu activist Gnani with the exhortation — go to the booth but vote for nobody. He asked people to write zero on the ballot paper to symbolically say that nobody is worth electing.

Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules If an elector after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form 17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.