MEA is ready to allow e-ballots for NRIs

The ministry of external affairs of India (MEA) has informed the Election commision (EC) that it supported EC’s recommendation to arrange the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to NRI voters for elections next year in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, a report by Times of India said.

The MEA had earlier stated that “diplomatic missions do not have the logistical wherewithal to handle attestation for a large number of overseas electors” and that they would have to seek the permission of the host country for organizing such activity, which may be difficult in non-democratic countries.

According to the Election Commission’s proposal received by the Law Ministry in last December, any NRI interested in voting through the postal ballot in an election will have to inform the Returning Officer (RO) at least five days after the notification of the election. On receiving such information, the RO will dispatch the ballot paper electronically. The NRI voters will mark their preference on the ballot printouts and send it back along with a declaration attested by an officer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative of India in the country where the NRI is resident, The New Indian Express reported.

Currently, overseas voters can only cast their votes in their respective constituencies. Last year, the bill seeking permission to allow ETPBS to NRIs failed in the 16th Lok Sabha.