Stating that the number of voters in India is increasing, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Saturday said that a compulsory voting regime is not feasible to improve it further. “India is one of the few countries where in reality, the voter turnout is increasing. Compulsory voting system can help increase the number of voters but the system is not feasible in India owing to its population,” Zaidi said in an interview with Facebook’s Public Policy Director Ankhi Das on Saturday.
“Model of compulsory voting is successful in small countries. They can manage it as the number of electorate is very small but bringing that system is not feasible in a hugely populated country like ours,” he said. He emphasised that the Election Commission cannot force people. “Constitutionally, people have the right to vote or not to vote,” he said.