Why Should We Vote in India

After 69 years of Independence, India has not proved itself to have control and order. The fault lies with both the leaders and the people. People are driven by religious beliefs rather than what is good for the country. We should choose that which drives the country forward, while still upholding the Indian tradition. But politics is wound up in frivolous matters rather than paying more attention to uplifting the poor, helping the aged, education, water, preserving the environment, agriculture, roads, planned urban development, and so on.

Reasons to vote

It’s our right -

As a democratic country, India is built on the foundations of election. Our Parliament and Legislatures are of the people, by the people and for the people. Voting is a constitutional right that we are privileged to have. We take it for granted, but the constitution has given us the right to elect who we want, and the right to make the change.

Agent of change -

Your vote can play an important part in making the change. If you are unhappy with the current government, you can vote for a better one. Not voting could result in the same party ruling for another five years. At the end of the day, if the country is stuck with a bad government, it’s the people to blame for voting wrong or for not voting at all.

Your vote counts -

Every vote counts. Though it seems like an endless sea of people are there to vote, every vote counts. When the national attitude changes from thinking “my vote doesn’t make a difference”, then the numbers increase and a multitude of people voting will make the difference. The responsibility lies on every individual.

NOTA -

The Government of India has made the provision for voters to exercise their vote even if they are not happy with any of the candidates. NOTA stands for None of the Above and this is an important vote to cast for those who aren’t satisfied by any of the parties standing. Voting NOTA expresses that none of the candidates are good enough. NOTA votes count, however in case the majority of the votes are NOTA, then the party with the next majority will come to power.

India’s history -

Indians struggled to win our freedom and we have the right to vote because of them. Exercising our right to vote upholds what our freedom fighters envisioned for India. We can honor and respect our freedom fighters and the struggle of our past generations by voting for a better India.

How do Elections work

In order to be convinced to vote, you should also know how the elections work. India is a democracy with an asymmetric federal government. Officials are elected from the local levels to state levels and the federal level. We have two houses of Parliament:

• The Lok Sabha - The lower house of the Indian Parliament is also known as the House of the People. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected through general elections. These elections take place every five years. There are two members of the Lok Sabha who will be nominated by the President of India. Currently the Lok Sabha has 545 members. Two members represent the Anglo-Indian community, while the other 543 are elected for five-year terms.
• The Rajya Sabha - The upper house of the Indian Parliament is also known as the Council of States. The members are elected by the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies, and the Electoral college of the Union Territories. Therefore, the members of the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by the people. The Rajya Sabha has 245 members out of which 233 members are elected for 6-year terms. One-third of the house retires every two years.
• Prime Minister - The Prime Minister is elected by the elected members of the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha is the lower house of parliament in India.
• President - The President of India is elected for a 5-year term by an electoral college which consists of members of the State Legislatures and Federal Legislatures.

Process of Elections

To conduct the elections and ensure smooth functioning, the Election Commission of India was formed. The Election commission takes care of everything related to elections which includes the superintendence, control and direction of the elections and the conduct of the elections.The following is a summary of the process of voting that you need to know.

• You first need to be registered on the Electoral Roll which is a list of eligible voters. You can apply online as well as at the VRECs, at designated locations or through a Booth Level Officer.
• You will be issued a Voter ID which you need to present at the polling booth.
• The responsibility lies on the citizen to be aware of who is standing for elections.
• It is also the responsibility of the citizen to find out where the polling booth is in their respective constituency.
• You can vote on the Electronic Voting Machines.
• If you speak only English, you should familiarise yourself with the symbols of the candidates, because the names of the candidates will be listed in alphabetical order in the respective state’s language.
• All you have to do is press the blue button next to your desired candidate’s name and symbol. You can also vote NOTA.
• You will receive a mark of ink on your finger that signifies that you voted.
• While it helps identify if you have already voted, it is also a proud symbol you can bear.