Proxy voting still eludes armed forces

During his visits to the border areas, Fernandes received a common complaint from defence personnel in far-flung areas 8211; they complained about their inability to vote. In fact, providing proxy voting facility has been their long-standing demand.

The existing postal ballot system has proved inadequate and inefficient due to long delays involved in sending out the postal ballot sheets to different towns where defence personnel are posted. In case of border posts, the delays are even more acute. These forms have to be filled in and sent back to the Returning Officers beforethe counting process begins, making it almost an impossible task.

The Election Commission has repeatedly suggested that the postal ballot system be scrapped and be replaced by proxy voting system where the armed forces personnel can authorise a family member, usually a parent or a sibling or the spouse to cast a vote by proxy in his home town.

Soon after his return from the forward areas, Fernandes had written to the Prime Minister urging that this long-standing grievance of the armed forces be immediately rectified.

On August 26 this year, a high-level meeting had set up of a group of secretaries to examine the issue. A month later, in September, the group of secretaries recommended to the Cabinet that proxy voting be allowed for defence and para-military personnel. A note to this effect was sent around to all the concerned ministries for their reactions. According to informed sources, responses from different ministries are back and a Cabinet note to this effect is being prepared. Unfortunately, thatis where the matter rests.

The shift to proxy voting would require an amendment of the Representation of People Act, 1951, to be approved by the Cabinet. Since Parliament is not in session, the amendment to the RPA would have to be effected through the promulgation of an ordinance by the President.

But with very little time left for the elections, even if the ordinance were to be promulgated there are too many bureaucratic hurdles for it to be put into effect in the coming polls, say Election Commission sources.

Defence personnel posted away from home would have to be identified, the serviceman concerned would have to nominate a family member to vote in his place and this decision conveyed to the Returning Officer in his home town, a process which could take a couple of months.