What is NOTA?
None of the Above (NOTA) is an option given to the voters, which allows them to cast their vote without choosing any of the listed candidates.
Where can you find the NOTA option?
The Electronic Voting Machines have the NOTA option at the end of the list of candidates.
What if there are more NOTA votes than for any candidates?
The candidate with the highest votes wins the election!
Why is NOTA important?
1. In a democracy, if many voters opt for NOTA, it will compel political parties to nominate sound candidates.
2. NOTA reaffirms the protection of the voter’s identity and the right to secrecy while casting a vote.
Landmark judgment about NOTA
Before NOTA, the law allowed for voters to not cast a vote for any candidate. However, the option revealed the voter’s identity to poll officials, as the polling booth’s Presiding Officer would obtain the voter’s name and thumb impression. This was declared unconstitutional and changed in the landmark NOTA case known as People’s Union of Civil Liberties v. Union of India (2013).