On Sat, Apr 18, 2009 at 17:48, Aadisht Khanna <[email protected]> wrote: > On Sat, Apr 18, 2009 at 5:10 PM, . <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Given the circus our politicians[0] create out of democracy, shouldn't >> the protest vote[1] be a citizens right ; one that was lost when India >> moved from a paper ballot to the electronic ballot system. >> > > You can still use Section 49-O of the Electoral rules to register a refusal > to vote though you will lose the anonymity of the old protest vote.
I don't think 49-O ever allowed for anonymity, even with paper ballots. "49-O. Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark." I think that voting for the least of multiple evils is any day preferable in the direct-election/first-past-the-post system we have for Lok Sabha elections than casting a 49-O vote. As long as our electoral system follows the FPTP principle, abstention votes don't make sense. Regards, Pranesh
