Introduction of postal ballot or proxy for voting by internal migrants (people who move from one place to another in search of job) seems to be a distant dream. In absence of a proper data base of the internal migrants, the Election Commission is finding it tough to go further in this direction.
Election Commission had set up an in-house panel to study how domestic migrants residing outside their home towns can be allowed to vote.
Around 11,000 NRIs had attempted to cast their votes in the last general election, after getting a green signal from the Government of India to cast their votes by Postal or proxy ballot. Though it was the first experience but the number is likely to go up in the elections to come.
The sources say that evolving a system to arrange for proxy or postal voting by around 40 crore people do not seem to be feasible right now. A lot of logistical and administrative problems have to be dealt with before going in a program of such magnitude. A senior functionary in the Election department said that unless a thorough data base is prepared of all the citizens who have migrated to places other than their native towns, making them available with a system to cast their votes at their migrated place is not possible at the present scenario. He added that making postal ballots available to crores of internal migrants will not be feasible as it may trigger the chances of bogus voting and rigging.
The linkage of Aadhar Card with the voting rights through such a system would be very much essential to tackle the problem of repeated voting by such voters.
“Though the SC has asked the Election Commission to consider giving voting facility to internal migrants, but it can be possible only through some electronic means,” he said.
He also said that a comprehensive technological e-platform will also be required to safeguard such a system so that internal migrants, who use their electoral franchise from their migrated places, were not able to cast bogus vote.