Compulsory Voting

Compulsory Votingforces should be allowed to cast their votes
Dalip Singh Wasan, Advocate.through proxy and they may be allowed to
If we have adopted democratic system, we shallappoint a member of their own house. When we
have to adopt compulsory voting system so thathave introduced this electronic system, the people
the people who sit in the houses should beshould be allowed to cast their votes through
elected by all the people of the country and notthese channels.
by a minority. If we see the voting system inWhile making voting compulsory, we should ban all
India only half of our voters cast their votes andcollection of people by the political people. What
half of our voters do not go to a voting both forthey want to place before the people that should
casting their votes. We have not conducted abe disclosed through the electronic media or
survey as to why the remaining half of ourthrough the press. The candidates should also give
voters are not casting their votes. They may bean account of their qualifications, training,
disliking the people who are standing as candidates.experience, their background and their plans and
They may not be liking any one of the candidatesprojects which they have in their mind and which
standing in their constituency. They may be richthey shall be carry out if they are given a seat in
and powerful and they may not be liking thatthe house. They should also give an account from
they should stand in the same line in which poorwhere they had arranged money for the election
people are standing. The state could not establishand they should also give an account of their
separate polling booths for the rich, powerful andhealth, age and expectancy of life. If the people
educated people who are not liking to stand in theare ill and diseased and they are just trying to
same lines where illiterate people are standing.have a seat in the house for carrying on their
When the nominees are to be elected by themedical treatment, the people should avoid to
people, this term people should means all theelect such people,
eligible people who can cast their votes and not aThe people of India are not in a position to send
single group. If we apply the correct calculation,their own candidates to the houses, because here
when a candidate could not get more than half ofin India this work has been the responsibility of
the votes, it means he is a rejected candidate.the political parties and they are themselves
But here only those are occupying the seats ofnominating the people and the people i.e. the
power who could not catch more than twentyvoters have got no say in the election of the
percent votes of the area from where theyman. They are simply voters and they are to
were contesting. If we are to see that only thosevote in favour one though that may be a
be allowed to sit in the houses who get at leaststranger to the people of the constituency from
thirty three percent votes, then we shall have towhich the candidate is standing. All these items
introduce compulsory voting system and we shallare non-democratic, but we cannot alter all these
have to reduce the number of political parties.basics which are in operation in most of the
Under the present circumstances, it is not possiblecountries. The people who are with money and
to declare a candidate elected only if he catcheswho are belonging to one of the gangs in politics,
at least thirty three per cent votes of the area.they can stand in elections and the people who
The people who are not voting are violating theare just voters come and cast their votes and
norms of the democracy and therefore, they arethen they are pushed back to suffer for another
criminals and they must be punished. If there is noterm of five years or more.
law, we should frame that law because people inCompulsory voting system shall be writing of
countries like in India only have got fear of lawsome of the problems which are being faced by
and all other persuasion fail. We can introduce athe people. time has come when educated people
system where votes could be cast by proxy. Theshould come forward and vote and it could be
head of the family may be allowed to cast votesascertained only if there is compulsory voting
by proxy. We can introduce a system undersystem. and in India this system should be
which we can catch votes from the ill, old andadopted without any further delay.
diseased people. The people in army, in security