Voters will for the first time exercise the choice of not opting for any candidate in the fray for a particular seat without their right to maintaining secrecy over their decision being violated.
Below the name of the last candidate on the EVM, EC will now provide a button for NOTA option for electors who do not wish to vote for any of the candidates in the fray in their constituency.
The EC has already clarified that the candidate securing the highest number of votes would be declared elected even if the number of electors going for the NOTA option surpassed the votes polled by the electoral contestants.
EC also said that if the number of contestants was equal to the number of seats to be filled, the Returning Officer has to declare all of them duly elected, as per provisions of Section 53(2) of the Representation of People Act, 1951. EC clarified that the NOTA option, which is an expression of a decision not to vote for the contesting candidates, is not relevant in such cases.
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