CEC reminds NRIs of their voting rights, discusses collaboration with Bhutan poll body

The discussions with the Bhutan PM “focused on excellent collaboration & partnership between two Election Commissions & commitment to strengthen it further, in keeping with warm bonds of friendship India shares with Bhutan”, the Indian Embassy tweeted.

Kumar updated the PM on the collaboration between the two election commissions on research, ICTs (information and communication technologies) and other fields, the PM Bhutan Twitter handle said.

“During his visit, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar interacted with members of the Indian community in Thimphu, underlined strength & vibrancy of Indian democracy, ECI’s focus on enhancing voter participation in electoral process, & leveraging technology for free & fair conduct of election,” the Indian Embassy tweeted.

It added in another tweet: “CEC Shri Kumar also explained to members of the Indian community about NRIs’ rights & processes available under electoral laws, Indian election systems including various technological initiatives for citizens, political parties, candidates & election machinery.”

The ECI tweeted that the two CECs discussed “avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation on election matters”.

NRIs are allowed to register as overseas electors and cast their votes in person at their constituencies upon showing their original passport.

The page on overseas electors on the ECI’s website says an overseas elector will not be issued a Voter ID card or EPIC. “However, e-postal ballots shall soon be provided to NRI Voters,” the ECI site says, referring to the proposal for allowing postal ballots for NRIs.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 99,844 NRIs were registered as overseas electors and 25,606 of them voted, a turnout of about 25%, according to the EC. Kerala alone accounted for 87,651 of the overseas electors and 25,534 of them voted in the 2019 elections.

In a statement, the ECI said the visit was on the invitation of the CEC of Bhutan and such a visit happened after almost a decade. The ECI and the ECB have had an Memorandum of Understanding since 2006.

“During the meeting, the NRI community in Thimphu requested the ECI to consider providing the facility of voting through the Indian embassy in Bhutan, during the elections in India,” the ECI statement read.