The Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, April 26, regarding a plea seeking directions to nullify the election results of a particular constituency and hold fresh polls if the maximum votes are polled in favour of None Of The Above (NOTA) option.
The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by writer and motivational speaker Shiv Khera, who sought to frame rules stating that candidates who garner fewer votes than NOTA shall be barred from contesting all elections for a period of five years.
It further sought framing of rules to ensure proper and efficient reporting and publicity of NOTA as a "fictional candidate".
What Is NOTA and What Happens When NOTA Gets Most Votes?
The None of the Above (NOTA) option allows voters to reject all the running candidates. Selecting NOTA as a voting option signifies that the voter has not voted or selected in favour of any party to support. If NOTA votes get the most number of votes in a particular constituency, the next candidate with the second-most number of votes is declared the winner.
History of NOTA
The apex court declared on September 27, 2013, that voters should have the option to select "none of the above" when casting their ballots. It mandated that the Election Commission install a button for this option in all electronic voting machines.
The ECI introduced a specific symbol to allow voters to select "None of the Above." This symbol appears in the last panel on all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Why NOTA?
The idea that the ability to voice dissatisfaction would encourage more people to engage in the democratic process of voting led to the decision to include NOTA in the electoral process. Interestingly, a NOTA vote is a neutral vote eventually discounted towards the final total, distinguishing it from a negative vote and having no arithmetic value. The 2013 Supreme Court order stated that incorporating the NOTA option "will indeed compel the political parties to nominate a sound candidate" despite its zero arithmetic value.
Does NOTA Matter?
Many argue that NOTA votes matter. According to some people, NOTA has no electoral value in Indian systems because, in theory, the candidate with the most votes—possibly even just one—will be declared the winner even if NOTA receives the maximum number of votes. However, according to a different theory, NOTA votes are crucial to the outcome of the election because they deduct votes from political parties, which causes the margins of victory to shift.
Also Read | Lok Sabha Election 2024: If Surat MP Was Elected Unopposed, What Happened to NOTA, Netizens Ask.
How to Vote for NOTA?
The 'None Of The Above' button is at the bottom of the list of candidates on Indian electronic voting machines (EVMs). In the past, voters had to approach the polling officer to cast a negative ballot. However, NOTA has eliminated this necessity.