KOCHI: Expatriates will once again have to fly home to vote. Proposals for proxy vote and e-ballot for NRIs to vote in the country of employment were considered but not formulated due to practical issues. The Election Commission and the Central Government, which announced in the Supreme Court that they will study in detail and take action, have been silent for two years.

Expatriate voting rights were not previously included in the Representation of the People Act. After a long demand, in 2010, an amendment was introduced to allow non-residents to vote in person. The conditions are that the name must be in the electoral roll and the expatriate must not have citizenship in other countries. Expatriates have been in a legal battle for years to be allowed to vote in their country of employment.

A proxy vote is when a trusted person votes in place of the voter. Electronic Ballot is the process of voting online on a special portal. It was suggested to make guidelines in 2022, but the large number of non-resident voters confused the Centre.

There are about 25 lakh Malayali voters in many countries. Other obstacles such as the possibility of online vote fraud, the difficulty of verifying the identity of foreigners, and the possibility of disputes over proxy voting also came up. These are the reasons that stand in the way of e-ballot and proxy decisions.

Expatriates have started reaching

Expatriates from the Gulf countries started arriving after the festive holiday before the elections. Earlier they used to arrive in groups on chartered flights. It is good that this time the ticket price to India is reasonable. Many people are hoping that the leave can be extended till polling day.

This is a crucial choice. Importantly, the activists have reached the labour camps in the Gulf. Therefore, a large number of non-residents will also vote.

- Rafiq Paraikkal, KMCC (Saudi Cell) Coordinator