281 Million. That’s the staggering number of Indians who were eligible to vote – over 18 years of age and with their names in the electoral rolls – but did not vote in 2014 general elections. To put things in perspective, the ENTIRE eligible voting population of USA is 183 Million. So basically, more than an entire voting nation’s worth of votes were lost in the last elections. A key reason for this massive ‘non voting party’ is a criterion that you need to be physically present where you are registered on the polling day to be able to vote. Can we be real for a second? It’s 2019. Mobile Numbers, aadhar cards, bank accounts – everything is seamlessly portable – why not our right to vote?
It’s this pertinent issue that The Times Of India is aiming to solve with their much needed #LostVotes campaign. The strong belief underlying this campaign is that there is no reason why eligible Indians living in India should lose their right to vote because they may be in a different city. Jobs, education, marriage, opportunities are bound to make us travel. If NRIs can vote by proxy, its baffling that this issue isn’t solved for. #LostVotes campaign believes that we need the political and administrative will to find a way that all Indians can vote irrespective of where they are. Watch their compelling campaign video below:
The Lost Votes campaign will submit a petition to the Election Commission to make it possible for every Indian to vote irrespective of where they may be temporarily located. The greatest tragedy in a democracy are non-voters. It is extremely heartening to see this campaign address such a critical issue. Our votes, like everything else in life, should be mobile. You can get more details and support the petition to make your vote mobile here: http://www.lostvotes.com
