Representative image of a person casting a vote.
Credit: PTI Photo
On Tuesday, the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024. Maharashtra will go to polls in a single phase on November 20. The counting will be held on November 23.
It is a crucial time for the voters to decide which party to vote for and for the undecided/discontented voters, there is an option of choosing NOTA, or "None of the Above".
Here is an explanation of what NOTA is and what difference it makes in the electoral scene.
What is NOTA or 'None of the Above'?
NOTA is one of the options available in the electronic voting machine for people who do not wish to vote for any of the candidates to exercise their right to reject without violation of the secrecy of their decision.
When was it first introduced?
NOTA was first introduced when the Supreme Court delivered the judgment in the People's Union for Civil Liberties Vs Union of India.
On September 27, 2013, while ordering the Election Commission to provide a button to exercise the voter's right to reject a candidate in the electronic voting machines, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the right to register a "none of the above" vote in elections should apply.
NOTA was used for the first time in the 2013 Assembly elections in five states - Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh - and later in the 2014 General Elections.
Earlier, before NOTA was introduced in the voting machines, voters who wanted to reject all candidates had the option of filing form 49-O at a voting booth. However, this process of filing 49-O compromised the secrecy of the voter.
What is the purpose of Nota?
Although NOTA has not made any significant impact on the electoral scenarios of the country, it brings discontented voters also to the polling station to exercise their right to vote.