With the onset of Lok Sabha elections in India, a question arises: can Indian citizens residing in countries like America vote?
Indians settled in other countries retain their voting rights in Indian elections, as long as they have not renounced their Indian citizenship.
Until 2010, Indian citizens living abroad did not have the right to vote. Now they do, but there is a catch: to vote, they must be present at the polling station.
NRIs have long demanded remote voting right so they can vote in Indian elections from their current locations. Several petitions are pending in the Supreme Court regarding this. The Election Commission has stated that arrangements for the same will soon be in place.
Voting Rights for NRIs
Before 2010, Indians living abroad were not allowed to vote. If an individual resided overseas for more than six months, their name would be removed from the voter list.
However, after an amendment to the Representation of the People Act in 2010, NRIs gained the right to vote.
They can vote, but there is a catch. According to Section 20A of the RP Act, they must visit a polling station to cast their ballot, meaning NRIs can vote, but only in-person at a polling booth. This restricts many NRIs from voting.
How NRIs Can Register Their Names in the Voter List
NRIs living overseas for studies, employment, or other reasons can enroll their name in the voter list. Any NRI over 18 can do this using Form 6A.
This form can be downloaded from the Election Commission’s website or acquired for free from Indian embassies abroad.
But an NRI can only enroll in the voter list of the area where they have their residence in India. For example, if an NRI resides in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, their name would be registered in the voter list of Govindpura constituency.
After filling Form 6A, it can be sent to the electoral registration officer via post or submitted online on the Election Commission's website, where officers' names and contact details are available.
Once listed as a voter, NRIs gain the right to vote and can do so by visiting the polling booth on voting day. Carrying a passport is mandatory.
Can NRIs Vote Online?
Currently, NRIs do not have the option to vote online.
Only election duty staff, military personnel, and government officials working abroad, categorized as service voters, can vote electronically or via post. They use the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS), wherein postal ballots are sent which they fill out and return.
Data suggests that in the 2019 elections, over 1.8 million postal ballots were sent, 1.084 million were returned, resulting in a turnout of over 60% through ETBPS.
The Election Commission and the government are working on facilitating a similar system for NRIs. However, it has not been implemented yet.
Three years ago, the Election Commission proposed this idea to the government, and the Centre informed the Supreme Court that they were considering remote voting for NRIs.
How Many NRIs Are There?
The Ministry of External Affairs reports that 13.6 million Indians live worldwide, with the highest number, 3.419 million, residing in the UAE and 1.28 million in the USA. According to the Election Commission, about 1.25 million Indians are registered.
Lok Sabha Elections Spread Over 7 Phases
The Lok Sabha elections have commenced with notifications for the first phase released on Wednesday. Voting for 102 seats across 17 states and four Union territories will occur on April 19 in the first phase. Subsequent phases will take place on April 26, May 7, 13, 20, and 25, and June 1, with results announced on June 4.
