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At least, 40 electoral reform proposals made by the commission are pending for clearance.
In a communication sent to law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on May 17, new chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra has identified a priority list of proposals. It includes: Aadhar-voter ID card linkage; voter ID card access to a citizen as soon as he or she turns 18; gender-neutral ‘service voter’ rules; and declaring paid news a corrupt practice, people aware of the development told ET.
Several of the pending proposals require amendments in election laws and parliamentary approval.
“Desired amendments in the electoral laws will help in further improvement in our electoral system,” EC said in its letter.
With all the five state/union territory assembly elections scheduled for this year already concluded, the panel said it “intends to pursue the issues concerning electoral reforms”.
ET has seen a copy of the letter.
The poll panel has also reminded the law ministry that it had taken up the issue of pending electoral reforms earlier as well, through communications dated July 26, 2019, and July 8, 2020.
The commission had also held a meeting with the legislative department secretary on February 18, 2020, where some of the proposed reforms were prioritised. The law secretary had then assured EC that the ministry was closely looking at the proposals, the latest letter pointed out.
Topmost on the commission’s priority list is the proposal to link Aadhaar with voter ID. This would ensure de-duplication of electoral roll and voter authentication. The linkage is also considered critical to the commission’s plans to offer ‘remote’ voting rights to domestic migrants, allowing them to cast their vote even if they are not at their voting address on the day of the poll.
Aadhaar-voter ID linkage would require an amendment to the Representation of People’s Act, 1951. Another amendment sought by EC is to Section 14 (b) of the RP Act, which pertains to registration of first-time voters.
Another amendment sought by EC is to Section 14 (b) of the RP Act, which pertains to registration of first-time voters.
Currently only those who turn 18 by January 1 of a year are registered as voters that year. For nearly a decade now, the poll panel has been recommending multiple dates of registration for new voters.
Last heard, home affairs and law ministries had discussed two dates in a year – January 1 and July 1.
The third key recommendation involves amendments to Section 20(6) of the RP Act – to allow the husband of a female office holder to be registered as a ‘service voter’ where she holds office.
‘Service voters’ are those in government service and defence services posted in locations different from the area where they are registered as voters. As of now, sub-section (8) of Section 20 of the RP Act only allows the wife of a male service voter to cast her vote as a service voter.
EC has recommended that gender-neutral word ‘spouse’ should be used in that clause so that husbands residing with serving wives may also be able to vote. The commission has also suggested that the same rights be given to children of service voters who are of voting age and are residing with their parents.
The poll panel has proposed that paid news and false affidavit be declared as electoral offence/corrupt practice punishable under RP Act, 1951 and that the print media and social media intermediaries also be covered under Section 126 of the RP Act to prevent publication of advertisements in print media 48 hours before the close of poll, like in the case of electronic media.
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