14-12-2020 | 16:15 PM
NRI Voting
The Election Commission recently recommended the use of postal ballots to allow non-resident Indians to cast their votes. This may be achieved using the ETPBS or the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System.
According to the ECI, it is theoretically ready to expand the ETPBS to the voters of Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry.
Provisions for voting in India:
The Government of India allows its citizens to vote in three different ways namely by post, in person and through proxy. Proxy Voting was introduced in 2003, only for NRIs residing in a few listed countries. On the other hand, postal ballots involve ballots being sent by posts.
The NRIs got voting rights only in 2011 by an amendment to the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950. Currently, NRIs can only vote in person in the constituency where their residence is located.
