Answer

Introduction

Internal migration in India, with an estimated 300 million people, creates a massive population of “voter-less citizens,” a key reason for declining voter turnout. Despite proposals by the Election Commission of India (ECI), significant policy and administrative hurdles continue to block migrant-inclusive electoral reforms, disenfranchising this crucial segment.

Policy and Administrative Hurdles in Implementing Migrant-Inclusive Electoral Reforms

Policy Hurdles

• Restrictive Legal Framework: The Representation of the People Act, 1950, requires registration at one’s “ordinary residence” and lacks a clear definition of ‘migrant’.
• Absence of Political Consensus: Reforms are stalled due to trust deficit among political parties regarding the technology’s security and impartiality.
  Eg. Most opposition parties expressed skepticism over the ECI’s Remote Voting Machines (RVMs) prototype in January 2023, halting progress.
• Complex Implementation and Security Concerns: A remote system must securely manage multi-constituency ballots while preventing voter coercion from employers or middlemen.
  Eg. An RVM in Delhi must correctly load the candidate list for a voter from West Bengal while ensuring their vote is secret.
• Model Code of Conduct Confusion: Applying the code in RVM locations outside the polling state creates legal ambiguity.
  Eg. If voting is for Bihar in Maharashtra, the Model Code does not uniformly apply.

Administrative Hurdles

• Massive Logistical and Financial Burden: Transporting and operating RVMs with trained staff across India demands extensive planning and funding, making nationwide deployment difficult.
• Enumeration and Tracking Challenges: The mobile and informal nature of migrants makes it hard to update voter rolls.
  Eg. Tracking seasonal agricultural laborers moving between states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh is extremely difficult.
• Technological and Educational Barriers: Creating secure RVMs and educating migrants on their use is a significant challenge given India’s digital divide.
• Unclear Identification Mechanisms: Verifying migrant status reliably is complex and may lead to exclusion or fraud if not managed transparently.
  Eg. With over 95 crore voters on the 2024 electoral roll, verifying migrants is a major challenge, as Aadhaar authenticates identity but not the “ordinary residence” status.

Solutions for Addressing Voting Issues for Interstate Migrants

• Implement Remote Voting Machines (RVMs) with Consensus: RVMs should be piloted with political consensus and public demonstrations.
  Eg. In 2023, ECI showcased an RVM in Dharavi for Bihar migrants, pending party agreement.
• Extend the Postal Ballot System: The existing service voter model can be adapted for interstate migrants, offering a tested, scalable solution.
• Allow Constituency Switching for Long-Term Migrants: Migrants living over six months in a new location should be allowed to vote there, aligning voting with lived realities.
• Create a Dynamic Voter Database: Link voter rolls with e-Shram or One Nation One Ration Card for real-time tracking.
  Eg. If a migrant updates their address on e-Shram, the system can auto-enable remote voting.
• Adopt Switzerland’s E-Voting system: India can study and adapt secure e‑voting models like Switzerland’s remote e-voting for overseas citizens, tailored to internal migrants.
  Eg. In 2011, over 22,000 Swiss citizens abroad used online voting in national elections, proving the potential of secure tech-based solutions.

Conclusion

Enfranchising India’s vast migrant population is essential for making democracy more inclusive. Overcoming these deep-seated hurdles requires strong political will, collaborative action between states, and the deployment of secure, trusted technology to ensure no citizen is left behind in the electoral process.

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