Index

• Every citizen has democratic right and duty to vote in elections at every level -Lok Sabha, Legislative Assembly or Panchayat or Municipality. All citizens of India shall be enrolled as voters, if they are above 18 years of age.

• Only two classes of citizens are disqualified from voting
  • Those declared by a competent court as of unsound mind

  • Those disqualified from voting under laws relating to corrupt electoral practices.

• A person must be registered in only one constituency at a time. A person must be registered as a voter in the electoral roll only once in any constituency. A person must be enrolled as voter at a place of which he is ordinary resident. From time to time the electoral rolls are prepared and revised by the election authorities. Usually the electoral rolls are revised before each general election to the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly. Electoral rolls may be revised before a by-election or whenever Election Commission directs.

• Citizens should make sure that their names and the names of their family members above 18 years of age are included in the electoral rolls.

• The election officials are usually the local MRO and other revenue officials. In case of Hyderabad city, they are usually the Municipal Corporation authorities.

• From time to time the election authorities notify draft electoral rolls and ask for objections. The citizens should take the trouble of verifying the electoral rolls during that period, and ensure inclusion of their names. The people of an area, a street, or a locality can send one or two knowledgeable persons to verify all the names in the locality. Lok Satta primary units, youth groups, mahila mandals, or other voluntary organizations can make sure that all eligible names are included in the electoral rolls.

• These organizations or local people should also ensure that the names of the dead persons, people who are no longer residents or fictitious names are not included. If such names find place, they must be deleted.

• All citizens' groups should be alert to prevent malpractice's on or around the day of election.

• Election malpractice's include the following:
  • Paying of money for votes
  • Gifts
  • Distribution of arrac or liquor
  • Appealing on grounds of caste or religion
  • Threatening people
  • Preventing people from voting
  • Impersonation
  • Bringing ballot papers out of the polling station
  • Marking by persons other than voters
  • Campaigning in or near polling booth
  • Transporting people from home to polling booth
  • Unauthorized people entering the booth
  • Forcible occupation of polling booth (booth capturing)
  • Large scale marking of ballots (rigging) by a few persons
  • Tampering with ballot boxes or ballot papers
  • Frightening or attacking polling agents
  • Asking any person to show his / her marked ballot paper

• To ensure that voting is fair and free, all responsible citizens should be alert and prevent malpractice's.
  

• Every voter should go out and vote

• Electoral rolls for Lok Sabha and Assembly are common. Electoral rolls for Panchayats and Municipalities are separate from Lok Sabha or Assembly rolls. Procedures for enrolment and revision for local bodies are similar to Lok Sabha and Assembly.