New Delhi:
The Election Commission has directed the Chief Electoral Officers of all the states and Union Territories to provide the NOTA (None of the Above) button, introduced for the first time, in the Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs for the forthcoming assembly elections.
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram vote in November and December this year while the Lok Sabha elections are due by May 2014.
The Commission's directive follows the Supreme Court judgment on September 27 empowering the voters with the right to reject candidates by pressing the NOTA button.
The top court, while deciding on the petition filed by the People's Union for Civil Liberties, set aside the existing provision where a voter who doesn't want to vote has to sign in a register at the polling booth thereby violating the secrecy of vote.
In its letter dated October 11 to all state election officers, the poll panel says the NOTA button should be in the same language as that of the state. This means that the last button on the EVMs may not say NOTA in English but will translate the abbreviation in the language of the state.
However, in states with English as their official language, e.g. northeastern states, the button on the EVMs will say 'NOTA'.
The poll panel letter also says that the polling officials must be trained to implement the Supreme Court verdict. It outlines how every polling booth should display the NOTA votes polled which then should be exhibited once the votes are counted.
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram vote in November and December this year while the Lok Sabha elections are due by May 2014.
The Commission's directive follows the Supreme Court judgment on September 27 empowering the voters with the right to reject candidates by pressing the NOTA button.
The top court, while deciding on the petition filed by the People's Union for Civil Liberties, set aside the existing provision where a voter who doesn't want to vote has to sign in a register at the polling booth thereby violating the secrecy of vote.
In its letter dated October 11 to all state election officers, the poll panel says the NOTA button should be in the same language as that of the state. This means that the last button on the EVMs may not say NOTA in English but will translate the abbreviation in the language of the state.
However, in states with English as their official language, e.g. northeastern states, the button on the EVMs will say 'NOTA'.
The poll panel letter also says that the polling officials must be trained to implement the Supreme Court verdict. It outlines how every polling booth should display the NOTA votes polled which then should be exhibited once the votes are counted.
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