Electoral Process in India

Elections in India have been the greatest electoral process in the entire world since first election in 1952. Election Commission of India (ECI) is in charge of the election process in India which includes elections to parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President. ECI has been an independent constitutional authority since January 25, 1950. It is essential that the procedures used to conduct a government election process be adequate if elections are to have actual significance in a democratic society and fulfill expectations. The electoral process in India is more complicated due to the country’s cultural, linguistic, religious, and ethnic variety as well as the fact that it is the largest democracy in the world. There are different types of elections in India that are conducted for all levels of government.

Role of Election Commission of India in election Process in India?

• ECI has been an independent constitutional authority since January 25, 1950.
• Article 324 mandates the establishment of an Election Commission to superintend, direct, and control elections and Article 326 of the Constitution enfranchised all adult citizens (those over the age of 18) and grants them the right to vote in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies elections.
• Elections to local bodies – Panchayats and Municipalities – are the responsibility of State Election Commissions under Articles 243K and 243ZA.
• The Commission currently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two Commissioners.
• The Election Commission is in charge of elections to parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President.
• The Election Commission prepares, maintains, and updates the Electoral Rolls, which show who is eligible to vote, supervises candidate nominations, registers political parties, and monitors the election campaign, including candidate funding and exponential.
• It also facilitates media coverage of the election process, organises polling booths where voting takes place, and oversees vote counting and results declaration.
• All of this is done to ensure that elections are conducted in a timely and fair manner.

Election Process in India

The following process is observed with regards to the Election Process in India:

Election Notification

• The election process officially begins when, on the recommendation of the Election Commission, the President (in the caseof Lok Sabha)and the Governor (in the case ofState Assembly)issue a notification for the election.
• Candidates have seven days to file their nominations. The seventh day, excluding Sunday, is the last date after notification is issued.
• Scrutiny of nomination papers is normally done on the day following the last date for filing nominations.
• The candidate may withdraw his/her nomination on the second day after the papers have been scrutinized.
• The election is held no earlier than the twentieth day following the withdrawal.

Filing of Nomination

• A person who wishes to run for office must file a nomination paper in the prescribed form, indicating his name, age, postal address, and serial number in the electoral rolls.
• The candidate must be proposed and seconded by at least two voters registered in the relevant constituency.
• Every candidate is required to take an oath or affirmation.
• These papers are then delivered to the Election Commission’s designated Returning Officer.

Security Deposit

• When submitting a nomination, each candidate must pay a security deposit. Every candidate for Lok Sabha must make a security deposit of Rs.10,000/-, and every candidate for State Assembly must make a deposit of Rs. 5,000.
• Candidates from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, on the other hand, must deposit Rs. 5,000/– if contesting Lok Sabha elections and Rs. 2,500/– if contesting Vidhan Sabha elections.
• If the candidate does not receive at least one-sixth of the total valid votes cast, the security deposit is forfeited.

Scrutiny and Withdrawal

• On the day set by the Election Commission, all nomination papers received by the Returning Officer are scrutinized.
• This is done to ensure that all paperwork is completed in accordance with the procedure and is accompanied by the required security deposit.
• The Returning Officer has the authority to reject a nomination paper for any of the following reasons:
  • If the candidate is under the age of 25.
  • If he or she has not paid the security deposit.
  • If he/she holds any profit-making office.
  • If he or she is not registered to vote anywhere in the country.
• The last day for candidates to withdraw is the second day following the scrutiny of nomination papers.
• If that day happens to be a holiday or a Sunday, the day after that is set as the deadline for the withdrawal.

Election Campaign

• Campaigning is the process by which a candidate attempts to persuade voters to vote for him rather than for another candidate.
• During this time, candidates attempt to travel throughout their constituency in order to persuade as many voters as possible to vote in their favor.
• In recent times, the Election Commission has granted free access to the State-owned electronic media, All India Radio (AIR), and Doordarshan, to all recognized National and Regional Parties to conduct campaigns.
• The Election Commission determines the total amount of free time allotted to political parties.
• Campaigning comes to an end 48 hours before the election.
• The election process involves a variety of campaign techniques.

Model Code of Conduct

• During the campaign period, political parties and candidates are expected to follow a model code of conduct developed by the Election Commission of India based on political party consensus.
• It takes effect the moment the Election Commission announces the election schedule. The following is the code of conduct:
  • Political parties and candidates should not campaign in religious establishments.
  • Speeches should not be delivered in such a way as to incite hatred among various communities representing various religions, castes, and languages, etc.
  • No official machinery should be used for election purposes.
  • Once the election dates are announced, no new grants, schemes, or projects can be launched.
  • It is not permissible to use the media for partisan purposes.

Scrutinization of Expenses

• Though the Election Commission provides free access to all recognized National and State parties for a limited time for their campaign, this does not mean that political parties do not spend money on their election campaigns.
• Political parties and candidates running for office spend a lot of money on their election campaigns.
• The Election Commission, on the other hand, has the authority to investigate the candidates’ election expenses.
• There is a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on Parliamentary and State Assembly elections.
• Within 45 days of the results being declared, every candidate is required to file an account of his election expenses.
• In the event of a default or if the candidate has incurred (expenses) in excess of the prescribed limit, the Election Commission has the authority to take appropriate action, and the candidate elected may be disqualified and his election may be annulled.

Polling, Counting, and Declaration of Result

• A large number of polling booths are set up in each constituency to conduct voting.
• To aid the process, each booth is assigned a Presiding Officer who works alongside the Polling Officers.
• A voter casts his or her vote secretly in an enclosure so that no one else is aware of the decision he or she has made.
• It is referred to as a secret ballot. After the polls close, the ballot boxes are sealed in the presence of the candidates’ agents.
• Agents ensure that no voter is denied the right to vote if he or she appears within the time limit.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)

• To ensure free and fair elections, the Election Commission has begun using tamper-proof electronic voting machines.
• Each machine displays the names and symbols of the candidates in a constituency.
• The machine is simple to use, and it eliminates the need for ballot paper and ballot boxes. Vote counting becomes more convenient and faster when a machine is used.
• The sealed ballot boxes or EVMs are transported to the counting centre under strict security.
• The counting takes place in the presence of candidates and their agents and under the supervision of the Returning Officer.
• If there is any doubt about the validity or otherwise of a vote, the Returning Officer’s decision is final.
• The Returning Officer declares the candidate with the most votes aselected (or returned) as soon as the counting is completed.

Re-poll – If an anti-social element captures a booth during voting, the Election Commission may order a re-poll in the entire constituency or specific booths.

Countermanding of Election – If a duly nominated candidate from a recognized party dies after the last date of nomination but before the start of voting, the Election Commission orders Countermanding of Elections.This is more than just a postponement of voting. The entire election process, beginning with nominations, is restarted in the affected constituency.