Full Form of NOTA

The full form of NOTA is “None of the Above”. It is also known as “against all” or a “scratch vote”. It is a right given to voters that enables them to not vote for any of the candidates contesting the election if they feel that none is a deserving candidate. It is a way to express the dissatisfaction of not having a single candidate worth voting for or showing that the voter does not have confidence in any contesting candidates.

What is NOTA?

NOTA was introduced in 1992 for the first general election. The Government of India enacted the Act of 1992 to amend the Representation of the People Act of 1951. The NOTA (None of the above) option will be used in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, in which a total of 744 candidates will be contesting. Not just that, the NOTA option will also be available on the National voters’ list. How Can I Use NOTA in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election? Once you have registered yourself as a voter, you can choose the NOTA option if you are not satisfied with the number of candidates and candidates contesting the election. How Can I Vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election? You can cast your vote by casting your vote at a particular polling station.

Is it a new voting system?

Nope! NOTA was recently introduced in the 2014 general elections. According to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Indian voters choose to select their preferred candidates and cast their vote for NOTA to express their dissatisfaction with the candidates in the fray. What is NOTA or Inherently Nota? Nominated candidates are not allowed to contest the election. They are ineligible to seek an election from that constituency. In an indirect election, the notional votes of these candidates are added to the votes of the candidates elected. But this rule does not apply to NOTA. The voting options for NOTA in a General Elections are decided through the Electoral Amendment Act, 2017.

How does NOTA work?

NOTA is an expression, and the users can mark the “Against All” button if they feel that none of the polls’ contesting candidates meets their liking and wants to express their unhappiness. The NOTA option exists alongside the multiple-choice questions in the ballot paper. Once the NOTA option is selected, voters are not obliged to send the ballot paper to the poll officer. Instead, the chosen candidate in the multiple-choice question will be listed along with the name of the candidates who received more than the set percentage of votes. Are there any restrictions on NOTA? As a general rule, any voter is free to exercise his vote of NOTA.

Why is the system needed?

Let’s understand the reason behind NOTA. Any voter can cast the NOTA (None of the Above) vote. This right was granted to the voters by the Supreme Court in 2009. It was described that “The right to vote is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. However, no one is entitled to decide the fate of another person. In the exercise of this right, the voter’s verdict must always be based on what he or she thinks would be the best for the society”. It is clearly understood that the NOTA has no role in deciding who wins the election, but it is meant to stop the propaganda of the political parties. If the voters want to block the corrupt politicians or choose a better candidate, they have NOTA.

Why is NOTA important in India?

Under Article 324 of the Indian constitution, a citizen of India has the right to NOTA, but only concerning the president’s election. How did the NOTA come into existence? NotA, as an option to make choices, was introduced in India by the Election Commission of India (ECI) through its statutory instrument dated 27 November 2006 in pursuance of the provisions of Section 4(1)(h) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It was added as a choice under the banner of the One-Third (1/3) Above the Trucking (OTB) Box option to ensure that the voter should not automatically choose the candidate or candidates belonging to his party or other political parties in such elections. What is a NOTA symbol, and how can it be used in voting?

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Why may NOTA not be used in other countries?

The concept of NOTA is unique and is not used in other countries. However, many democratic governments have extended the use of NOTA to their citizens to have their own choice in the same way as India does. Some countries do not allow nota to be used as an option, but they allow voters to choose against the selected candidates. The United Kingdom will enable voters to exercise their choice against a selected candidate. Canada, Germany, Australia, India, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines also allow the same. WHO DECIDES IF NOTA IS SENT TO BALLOT? Nota will be sent to the ballot by the Election Commission, and NOTA is not placed in the ballot paper by the Commission.

The Future of Global Democracy

The return of NOTA in India has turned out to be a source of hope for global democracy. It reiterates that global citizens are concerned about the root causes of political corruption and are unwilling to ‘buy’ a political system that has allowed this. Furthermore, it affirms that the global democracy is more than just an electoral form that promotes democracy in the physical sense of elections and recognises that politics must be about the people, for the people, by the people. It’s high time that global citizens take to the streets and make it clear that no matter the corruption, nepotism, or political divide, it is the people who are at the core of a democratic system.

Conclusion

The NOTA symbol is to be added to the ballot papers in the upcoming state elections to boost the voter turnout in the polls. If NOTA is not added, it may result in a low voter turnout in the polls. We believe that not adding NOTA will be a missed opportunity to get more voters involved in elections.

A Quick FAQ to NOTA