Why Should We Vote in India – How to vote India: Importance & Reason to vote

Why should a person exercise their voting rights in India?

Our country, India, can be considered as one of the biggest democracies around the globe. This notion of the famous saying ‘Government of the people, by the people and for the people’ is proven to be true only and only if the whole nation takes part in the process of election. In any democracy, all the citizens need to come united and help decide the future of their country and their own. This right to vote empowers the citizens of India to exercise their choice and decide together who will be leading the country and carrying the burden of responsibilities that comes with the power. 

But it is always seen that the voters are reluctant to vote during the process of election. Many of the voters do not carry out this responsibility properly, thereby not understanding the gravity of the power given to them by the constitution. This is particularly true in the case of the urban population where election day is considered another holiday. Since voting is not compulsory, people just choose to relax instead of participating in the election.

One of the highest voter turnouts during any election was seen in the 2019 National Elections. But the figures were quite disappointing as only 67.1% of the people came to vote during the election day. This is quite far away from the perfect 100% which is important for any democracy. It is seen that in many cases the voters do not care to even register their vote or enroll them in the voter list. This reluctance comes from the mindset that a single vote wouldn’t make much of a difference but this is not true. Every vote counts. It is good to give suggestions to the government and criticize them but it is not okay to vote. Voting is beyond any right; it is the responsibility of every individual to vote and decide the future of the country. It is a national responsibility. 

It is the need of the hour that people participate in this process. So, a fundamental shift in the people’s thought process is essential for making them realize their moral responsibility towards our beloved country. Every vote helps us in determining our future and the nation’s growth.

Why should we vote?

Voting is one of the founding pillars of democracy. This option should be exercised by all of the residents of the country. Although voting has not been made compulsory by the government but is a citizen’s moral duty to vote and do this voluntarily. Below are some of the reasons why a person should vote.

Source of change

Although protests are some of the popular ways for showcasing any kind of displeasure in the hearts of the citizens against any government or the policies implemented by them voting is a very essential tool for registering their opinion or voice. This collective mandate or voice of any country’s citizens is one of the loudest cries for the change of government. This is clearly observed in many cases that the country’s citizens are very well equipped to show the door to any non-performing government and changing the direction of the country’s growth.

Importance of every single vote

Another thing to be noted is that there may be many people who generally tend to think that a single vote doesn’t matter. But we often forget that every single vote can bring about a big change. In some cases, it is seen that a single vote can make a big difference between a capable and strong leader and a weak one. So, it is stressful to vote every time.

NOTA or None Of The Above 

This option has been introduced recently by the Election Commission of India. Many times people don’t find any of the contestants of a particular area to be fit for the role so they may select NOTA or None Of The Above. For such a scenario this was brought up by the Election Commission which acts as another tool to state that none of the candidates are considered to be capable. If any constituency has a majority of NOTA then there will be re-election at the place with a new set of candidates. Moreover, sometimes NOTA prevents a corrupt person from winning the polls had it not been that he/she might have won. This power also shows the mandate of the country. 

Sense of Pride

The voting right is generally associated by the people with some sense of pride generally among the first-time voters or young voters. This is seen from the latest trends for showcasing their fulfillment of responsibility through sharing images of the inked finger on different platforms of social media. This is in the truest form a way of honoring our forefathers that have made many sacrifices and also strived very hard in attaining our nation’s freedom. 

The ECI or Election Commission of India has initiated various measures for promoting awareness of the voter and also inculcating this need and also the importance of voting for its citizens throughout the country. Such initiatives are one of the reasons for the increase in voter turnout in the past few years.

Although it is seen that all the voters need to uphold the responsibility and vote in the elections but the process of election is required to undergo some changes which ensure the influx of some good representatives or communities for any position and some fair practices that should be followed by everyone.

Some examples of such specific suggestions are listed below:-

• Providing facilities to inter-migrants to cast their votes
• Opposing using unfair social practices or using illegal or unethical practices in the entire election process
• Keeping a check on expenses involved in the election process with respect to every individual candidate and his political party as a whole
• Curbing proxy voting especially in the case of Non-Resident Indian voters
• Decriminalizing the entire election process and keeping a strict check on the involvement of criminals in the country’s political scenario
• Introducing electoral reforms to handle some particular situations like hung parliament or assembly or coalitions post-election.

The Elections Procedure

With a view to conducting free and fair elections and ensuring smooth functioning, an independent body was formed which was named the Election Commission of India. The Election commission handles everything related to the election process which includes the direction,  superintendence and control of the elections and conducting the elections smoothly without any violence.  Following is a gist of the process of voting or elections that one needs to know.

• First of all, an individual needs to get himself or herself registered as an eligible voter on the Electoral Roll, i.e., a list of eligible voters. Nowadays one can apply for voter id cards online as well offline at the VRECs, or through Booth Level Officer or at designated locations.
• Then that person will be issued a Voter ID which he is required to carry with himself at the polling booth.
• It is the responsibility of all citizens to check each candidate’s profile and make sure that they choose the right persons to form the government.
• Another responsibility of all citizens is also to find out the location of polling booths in their respective constituencies.
• Voters can vote on the Electronic Voting Machines or through ballot boxes as the case may be
• If anybody has a language problem or in other words has difficulty in communicating in the state language, then one should recognize the candidate or party of his choice through party symbols because all the candidates’ names will be given in alphabetical order in the respective state’s language.
• All a voter needs to do is simply press the blue button that is next to his or her desired candidate’s name and desired party symbol. One can also vote NOTA.
• The voter’s index finger will be then marked with blue indelible ink that symbolizes that he or she has voted.
• While it assists in identifying if one has already voted, it also stands as a proud symbol one can bear to show that he or she is a responsible citizen and has played his role diligently in framing the government of his country.

How many major elections are there in our country?

In all, there are four major elections in our country namely,

• President’s election by the assembly of elected members of the Central Legislature and State Assembly
• The Rajya Sabha Elections
• The Lok Sabha Elections
• The Prime Minister’s election by the Lok Sabha’s elected members.

What is a voter ID card?

A voter ID card is a mandatory document needed for the identification of a citizen of India that is issued by the ECI or the Election Commission of India. It allows its holder to cast his or her vote. The voter ID card includes the following details:-

• Photograph of the person owning it
• Unique serial number
• A hologram that has a national symbol or respective state symbol
• Name of the person owning it
• Father’s name of the person owning it
• Gender
• Card holder’s address
• Date of birth the person owning it

The residential address of the cardholder and his/her signature of the electoral registration officer is on the backside of the voter ID card.

What is the process of applying for a voter ID card?

Any citizen of India is eligible to apply for an ID. It can be applied through three processes:-

• Online
• Offline
• Semi online methods

What are the documents required?

For a Voters ID card, the following documents are required:-

• Address proof
• Identity Proof
• Photograph

What is the eligibility for a voter ID card?

For a Voters ID card, the following criteria must be met:-

• The person needs to be an Indian citizen
• 18 years of age or above
• A permanent address

Why Should We Vote in India FAQs:

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