The Election Commission creates remote EVMs to assist domestic migrants in casting their votes.
The Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday that it had created remote polling sites, underscoring the difficulties encountered by domestic migrants who come back home to cast their ballots.
“In the age of technological growth, disenfranchisement based on migration is in fact not an option. The general election turnout in 2019 was 67.4%, and the Election Commission of India expressed worry over the issue of over 30 crore electors not exercising their right to vote as well as the disparity in turnout between states and UTs in a statement.
It is acknowledged that there are a variety of reasons why a voter can decide against registering in a new residence and so forego exercising their right to vote. One of the important issues that must be addressed to increase voter turnout and ensure inclusive elections is the inability to vote as a result of internal migration (domestic migrants), the EC noted.
The commission claimed to have created a working prototype of a multiple constituencies remote electronic voting machine that can operate from a single remote polling place.
The EC announced that it has invited all eight recognised national political parties and 57 recognised state political parties to a demonstration of the remote EVM’s operation on January 16 and has requested their written opinions by January 31.
“The initiative, if implemented, can lead to a social transformation for the migrants and connect them with their roots as often they are reluctant to enrol themselves at their place of work for a variety of reasons, such as frequently changing residences, not enough social and emotional connection with the issues of area of migration, unwillingness to get their name deleted in the electoral roll of their home/native constituencies as they have permanent residence/property, etc.
According to sources, the model was created as a result of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar learning about domestic migration difficulties firsthand while travelling to Dumak hamlet in Chamoli district to cast his ballot.
Before settling on the remote EVM model, the EC claimed it had investigated several alternative voting procedures, including two-way physical transit postal ballots, proxy voting, early voting at designated early voting locations, one-way or two-way electronic transmission of postal ballots (ETPBS), internet-based voting system, etc.
