The Government has refused to play ball with the Election Commission on changing the cut-off date of January 1 fixed for enrolling young voters turning 18 this year.
Close to 1.27 crore young voters between 18-19 years had recently registered with the Election Commission. But as the EC guidelines required them to be 18 as on January 1, 2014, many had failed to be listed on the electoral rolls.
Seeing a large chunk of young electors being denied their voting right, the EC sought the Government’s nod to amend the rules and permit enrollment as voters on multiple cut-off dates as soon as they turn 18. The law Ministry, the nodal Ministry of the EC, shot down the proposal for it said the move to have multiple cut off dates would require a Constitutional amendment, something not possible immediately.
According to law Ministry officials, merely changing rules or even an amendment to the Representation of the People Act will not be of any help as the alteration required a mandatory constitutional amendment. In Article 326,it is stated that every person who is a citizen of India and who is not less than 18 of age on such "date" as may be fixed in that behalf by or under any law made by the appropriate legislature, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter at any such election.
"Article 326 mentions a cut-off date and not a set of dates, therefore any move to remove the cut-off date or to have multiple cut off dates will require amending the Article," is what the Government seems to reason. However, the Centre is also willing to refer the question of permitting multiple cut-off dates for those attaining 18 years of age in 2014 to the Attorney General for opinion.
The Commission, on the other hand, asked the Ministry to ensure some way by which a large chunk of young voters could be accommodated and not deprived of their voting right. Election Commissioner SNA Zaidi had recently explained, "As a result (of existing rules), if a person is becoming 18 years on January 2 cannot be registered." Such persons had to await their turn next year to get registered as a voter and if elections take place subsequently, the wait was to be for a longer period.
The Commission recommended amending the rules to accommodate multiple cut-offs to allow young voters as soon as they turn 18 to be a part of the electoral process. A proposal made in the early 1970s had suggested multiple cut off dates of January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 for those attaining the required age to register as voters. Sadly, the proposal could not take off.