EC proposes postal ballot for NRIs

The Election Commission(EC) is in favour of postal ballot for NRIs. The Commission has written to the government seeking extension of voting through postal ballots to non-resident Indians (NRIs) for the assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.In a letter to the Union law ministry, the EC cited a successful implementation of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for service voters and added it is confident that the facility can also be extended to overseas electors.

“After an amendment in Rule 23 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, the Commission has now implemented Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (EPTBS) for service voters,” the letter said. “This system is completely secure and functioning satisfactorily.” Voters living outside India can currently vote only in their respective constituencies. There are around 12.6 million Indian passport holders, who ordinarily reside in over 200 countries, according to the government Lok Sabha in October 2018 passed a bill to allow NRIs to vote through proxies. The bill lapsed pending approval by the Rajya Sabha before the dissolution of the lower House. 

A panel formed in 2014 to assess the matter proposed an amendment to section 60 of the Representation of People’s Act to allow NRIs to vote via postal ballots or through proxies. The proposal is pending before the law ministry and will require parliamentary approval.EC requested the government to make necessary amendments at the earliest. “The extension of the facility to NRIs]will go a long way in not only facilitating the exercise of the right of overseas electors but also further boosting the image of the country internationally.”