Why Should We Vote in India?

While there are some who genuinely cast their vote, many people sit back and relax on
voting day, and others are cajoled into voting for particular candidates. The importance of
voting is lost amongst the hustle and bustle of city life. While everyone sits and complains
about this and that, and makes suggestions that the government should change this and that,
the elections come and go without half the population paying attention. The highest recorded
voter turnout in India was recorded in 2014 for the Lok Sabha elections at 66.4%. That means
close to half the population does not exercise their right to vote.
After 69 years of Independence, India has not proved itself to have control and order.
The fault lies with both the leaders and the people. People are driven by religious beliefs
rather than what is good for the country. We should choose that which drives the country
forward, while still upholding the Indian tradition. But politics is wound up in frivolous
matters rather than paying more attention to uplifting the poor, helping the aged, education,
water, preserving the environment, agriculture, roads, planned urban development, and so on.

Reasons to vote:
1. It’s our right: As a democratic country, India is built on the foundations of election.
Our Parliament and Legislatures are of the people, by the people and for the people. Voting is
a constitutional right that we are privileged to have. We take it for granted, but the
constitution has given us the right to elect who we want, and the right to make the change.
2. Agent of change: Your vote can play an important part in making the change. If you
are unhappy with the current government, you can vote for a better one. Not voting could
result in the same party ruling for another five years. At the end of the day, if the country is
stuck with a bad government, it’s the people to blame for voting wrong or for not voting at
all.
3. Your vote counts: Every vote counts. Though it seems like an endless sea of people
are there to vote, every vote counts. When the national attitude changes from thinking “my
vote doesn’t make a difference”, then the numbers increase and a multitude of people voting
will make the difference. The responsibility lies on every individual.
4. NOTA: The Government of India has made the provision for voters to exercise their
vote even if they are not happy with any of the candidates. NOTA stands for None of the
Above and this is an important vote to cast for those who aren’t satisfied by any of the parties
standing. Voting NOTA expresses that none of the candidates are good enough. NOTA votes
count, however in case the majority of the votes are NOTA, then the party with the next
majority will come to power.

India’s history:
Indians struggled to win our freedom and we have the right to vote because of them.
Exercising our right to vote upholds what our freedom fighters envisioned for India. We can
honor and respect our freedom fighters and the struggle of our past generations by voting for
a better India.

How do Elections work?

In order to be convinced to vote, you should also know how the elections work. India is
a democracy with an asymmetric federal government. Officials are elected from the local
levels to state levels and the federal level. We have two houses of Parliament:
1. The Lok Sabha - The lower house of the Indian Parliament is also known as the
House of the People. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected through general elections. These
elections take place every five years. There are two members of the Lok Sabha who will be
nominated by the President of India. Currently the Lok Sabha has 545 members. Two
members represent the Anglo-Indian community, while the other 543 are elected for five-year
terms.
2. The Rajya Sabha - The upper house of the Indian Parliament is also known as the
Council of States. The members are elected by the elected members of the State Legislative
Assemblies, and the Electoral college of the Union Territories. Therefore, the members of the
Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by the people. The Rajya Sabha has 245 members out of
which 233 members are elected for 6-year terms. One-third of the house retires every two
years.
3. Prime Minister - The Prime Minister is elected by the elected members of the Lok
Sabha. The Lok Sabha is the lower house of parliament in India.
4. President - The President of India is elected for a 5-year term by an electoral college
which consists of members of the State Legislatures and Federal Legislatures.

Process of Elections
To conduct the elections and ensure smooth functioning, the Election Commission of
India was formed. The Election commission takes care of everything related to an election
which includes the superintendence, control and direction of the elections and the conduct of
the elections. The following is a summary of the process of voting that you need to know.
1. You first need to be registered on the Electoral Roll which is a list of eligible voters.
You can apply online as well as at the VRECs, at designated locations or through a
Booth Level Officer.
2. You will be issued a Voter ID which you need to present at the polling booth.
3. The responsibility lies on the citizen to be aware of who is standing for elections.
4. It is also the responsibility of the citizen to find out where the polling booth is in their
respective constituency.
5. You can vote on the Electronic Voting Machines.
6. If you speak only English, you should familiarise yourself with the symbols of the
candidates, because the names of the candidates will be listed in alphabetical order in
the respective state’s language.
7. All you have to do is press the blue button next to your desired candidate’s name and
symbol. You can also vote NOTA.
8. You will receive a mark of ink on your finger that signifies that you voted.
9. While it helps identify if you have already voted, it is also a proud symbol you can
bear.