Remote Voting Machine: Big relief for migrant voters, here’s what EC plans

In a major boost for migrant worker’s voting rights, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has developed a prototype Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM). The new voting tool can handle voting for multiple constituencies from a single remote polling station so that migrant voters do not need to travel back to their home states in order to vote. 

The EC said it is ready for a pilot of the remote voting system RVM and has invited political parties for demonstrating the new tech.

“The migration based disenfranchisement is indeed not an option in the age of technological advancement. The voter turnout in General Elections 2019 was 67.4 percent and the Election Commission of India is concerned about the issue of over 30 crore electors not exercising their franchise and also differential voter turnout in various states/UTs,” the EC said.

In order to improve the voter turnout and ensure “participative” elections, the EC said that “Inability to vote due to internal migration” ranks among the prominent reasons which have to be addressed. 

“Although there is no central database available for migration within the country, the analysis of available data in public domain points to work, marriage and education related migration as important components of domestic migration," it added.

The EC has discussed inclusive solutions to ensure electoral participation of migrants from all socio-economic strata. It also explored alternative voting methods like two-way physical transit postal ballots, proxy voting, early voting at special Early Voting Centres, one-way or two-way electronic transmission of postal ballots (ETPBS), Internet-based voting system.

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(With inputs from IANS)