Reforms in Electoral Process in India
Electoral reforms refer to the introduction of the best practices in ensuring better democracy, clean politics, fair elections, ideal members of legislative houses, and true representation.
The main idea to bring in such reforms is to broaden the core meaning of democracy, making it more suitable for citizens and the country’s functioning.
The need for electoral reforms arise:
- To remove the malicious people and malevolent activities from the political system.
- To stop the misuse of the government machinery.
- To ensure that Election processes are neutral and are free from any bias for any political parties.
- To ensure technological advancement of the electoral process.
- To Streamline the preparation of electoral rolls
Some important Electoral reforms undertaken so far:
- Lowering of Voting Age: The 61st Amendment Act to the Constitution reduced the minimum age for voting from 21 to 18 years.
- Deputation to Election Commission: All personnel working in preparing, revising and correcting the electoral rolls for elections shall be considered to be on deputation to the EC for the period of such employment, and they shall be superintended by the EC.
- Restriction on contesting from more than 2 constituencies: A candidate cannot contest from more than 2 constituencies.
- Prohibition on sale of liquor: No liquor or other intoxicants shall be sold or given or distributed at any shop, eating place, or any other place, whether private or public, within a polling area during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of poll.
- Time limit for bye-elections: Bye-elections to any House of Parliament or a State Legislature will now be held within six months of the occurrence of the vacancy in that House.
- Restriction on exit polls: The EC issued a statement before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections saying that exit poll results could be broadcast only after the final phase of the elections were over. This was done to avoid prospective voters being misguided or prejudiced in any manner.
- Voting through postal ballot: In 2013, the EC decided to expand the ambit of postal ballot voting in the country. Previously, only Indian staff in missions abroad and defence personnel in a limited way, could vote via postal ballots. Now, there are 6 categories of voters who can use the postal ballot: service voters; special voters; wives of service voters and special voters; voters subjected to preventive detention; voters on election duty and Notified voters.
- Awareness Creation: The government decided to observe January 25th as ‘National Voters Day’ to mark the EC’s founding day. Read more on the National Voters’ Day here.
