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CompulsoryvotinginIndia
November17th,2014PriankaRao11comments
CompulsoryvotingatelectionstolocalbodiesinGujarat
Lastweek,theGujaratLocalAuthoritiesLaws(Amendment)Act,2009receivedtheGovernors
assent.TheActintroducesanobligationtovoteatthemunicipalcorporation,municipalityand
PanchayatlevelsinthestateofGujarat.Tothisend,theActamendsthreelawsrelatedto
administrationatthelocalbodiestheBombayProvincialMunicipalCorporationAct,1949the
GujaratMunicipalitiesAct,1963andtheGujaratPanchayatsAct,1993.
Followingtheamendments,itshallnowbethedutyofaqualifiedvotertocasthisvoteatelectionsto
eachofthesebodies.ThisincludestherighttoexercisetheNOTAoption.TheActempowersan
electionofficertoserveavoternoticeonthegroundsthatheappearstohavefailedtovoteatthe
election.Thevoteristhenrequiredtoprovidesufficientreasonswithinaperiodofonemonth,failing
whichheisdeclaredasadefaultervoterbyanorder.Thedefaultervoterhastheoptionof
challengingthisorderbeforeadesignatedappellateofficer,whosedecisionwillbefinal.
Atthisstage,itisunclearwhattheconsequencesforbeingadefaultvotermaybe,asthepenaltiesfor
thesamearetobeprescribedintheRules.Typically,anydisadvantageorpenaltytobesufferedby
anindividualforviolatingaprovisionoflawisprescribedintheparentactitself,andnotleftto
delegatedlegislation.TheActcarvesoutexemptionsforcertainindividualsfromvotingif(i)heis
renderedphysicallyincapableduetoillnessetc.(ii)heisnotpresentinthestateofGujaratonthe
dateofelectionor(iii)foranyotherreasonstobelaiddownintheRules.
ThepreviousGovernorhadwithheldherassentontheBillforseveralreasons.TheGovernorhad
statedthatcompulsoryvotingviolatedArticle21oftheConstitutionandtheprinciplesofindividual
libertythatpermitsanindividualnottovote.ShehadalsopointedoutthattheBillwassilentonthe
governmentsdutytocreateanenablingenvironmentforthevotertocasthisvote.Thisincluded
updatingofelectoralrolls,timelydistributionofvoterIDcardstoallindividualsandensuringeasy
accesstopollingstations.
RighttovoteinIndia
Manydemocraticgovernmentsconsiderparticipatinginnationalelectionsarightofcitizenship.In
India,therighttovoteisprovidedbytheConstitutionandtheRepresentationofPeoplesAct,1951,
subjecttocertaindisqualifications.Article326oftheConstitutionguaranteestherighttovoteto
everycitizenabovetheageof18.Further,Section62oftheRepresentationofPeoplesAct(RoPA),
1951statesthateverypersonwhoisintheelectoralrollofthatconstituencywillbeentitledtovote.

Thus,theConstitutionandtheRoPAmakeitclearthateveryindividualabovetheageof18,whose
nameisintheelectoralrolls,anddoesnotattractanyofthedisqualificationsundertheAct,maycast
hisvote.Thisisanondiscriminatory,voluntarysystemofvoting.
In1951,duringthediscussiononthePeoplesRepresentationBillinParliament,theideaofincluding
compulsoryvotingwasmootedbyaMember.However,itwasrejectedbyDr.B.R.Ambedkaron
accountofpracticaldifficulties.Overthedecades,ofthevariouscommitteesthathavediscussed
electoralreforms,theDineshGoswamiCommittee(1990)brieflyexaminedtheissueofcompulsory
voting.Oneofthemembersofthecommitteehadsuggestedthattheonlyeffectiveremedyforlow
voterturnoutswasintroducingthesystemofcompulsoryvoting.Thisideawasrejectedonthe
groundsthattherewerepracticaldifficultiesinvolvedinitsimplementation.
InJuly2004,theCompulsoryVotingBill,2004wasintroducedasaPrivateMemberBillbyMr.
BachiSinghRawat,aMemberofParliamentintheLokSabha.TheBillproposedtomakeit
compulsoryforeveryeligiblevotertovoteandprovidedforexemptiononlyincertaincases,likethat
ofillnessetc.ArgumentsmootedagainsttheBillincludedthatofremotenessofpollingbooths,
difficultiesfacedbycertainclassesofpeoplelikedailywagelabourers,nomadicgroups,disabled,
pregnantwomenetc.incastingtheirvote.TheBilldidnotreceivethesupportoftheHouseandwas
notpassed.
AnotherPrivateMemberBillrelatedtoCompulsoryVotingwasintroducedbyMr.JPAgarwal,
MemberofParliament,in2009.Besidesmakingvotingmandatory,thisBillalsocastthedutyupon
thestatetoensurelargenumberofpollingboothsatconvenientplaces,andspecialarrangementsfor
seniorcitizens,personswithphysicaldisabilityandpregnantwomen.ThethenLawMinister,Mr.
Moilyarguedthatifcompulsoryvotingwasintroduced,Parliamentwouldreflect,moreaccurately,
thewilloftheelectorate.However,healsostatedthatactiveparticipationinademocraticsetupmust
bevoluntary,andnotcoerced.
Compulsoryvotinginothercountries
Anumberofcountriesaroundtheworldmakeitmandatoryforcitizenstovote.Forexample,
Australiamandatescompulsoryvotingatthenationallevel.Thepenaltyforviolationincludesan
explanationfornotvotingandafine.ItmaybenotedthatthevoterturnoutinAustraliahasusually
beenabove90%,since1924.SeveralcountriesinSouthAmericaincludingBrazil,Argentinaand
Boliviaalsohaveaprovisionforcompulsoryvoting.CertainothercountrieslikeTheNetherlandsin
1970andAustriamorerecently,repealedsuchlegalrequirementsaftertheyhadbeeninforcefor
decades.OtherdemocraciesliketheUK,USA,Germany,ItalyandFrancehaveasystemof
voluntaryvoting.Typically,overthelastfewelections,Italyhashadavoterturnoutofover80%,
whiletheUSAhasavoterturnoutofabout50%.
Whatcompulsoryvotingwouldmean
Thoseinfavourofcompulsoryvotingassertthatahighturnoutisimportantforaproperdemocratic
mandateandthefunctioningofdemocracy.Theyalsoarguethatpeoplewhoknowtheywillhaveto
votewilltakepoliticsmoreseriouslyandstarttotakeamoreactiverole.Further,citizenswholivein
ademocraticstatehaveadutytovote,whichisanessentialpartofthatdemocracy.
However,someothershavearguedthatcompulsoryvotingmaybeinviolationofthefundamental
rightsoflibertyandexpressionthatareguaranteedtocitizensinademocraticstate.Inthiscontext,it
hasbeenstatedthateveryindividualshouldbeabletochoosewhetherornotheorshewantstovote.
Itisunclearwhethertheconstitutionalrighttovotemaybeinterpretedtoincludetherighttonot
vote.Ifchallenged,itwilluptothesuperiorcourtstoexaminewhethercompulsoryvotingviolates
theConstitution.
[AversionofthispostappearedintheSakalTimesonNovember16,2014]