Overseas Indians may have moved a step closer to casting their franchise in Indian elections by proxy or e-ballot as the Election Commission (EC) has come out with a legal framework for it.

An expert committee in the Election Commission working on the issue has forwarded the legal framework to the Law Ministry to amend electoral laws to allow overseas Indians use proxy voting and e-ballot facility.

“We have framed the law and it is with the Law Ministry. We understand it is under active consideration. Which means it is in fairly advanced (stage),” Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told PTI in an interview.

He said data shows that only 10,000 to 12,000 NRIs have voted because they don’t want to spend dollars to come back to vote. “Many come, but many of them don’t come,” he said.

While NRIs are free to cast their votes in constituencies they are registered, as per the proposal they would also be allowed to use the option of proxy, which as of now is only available to service personnel.

Another option would be to use postal ballot delivered to them by electronic means to cast their vote. This would mean amending the current laws governing right to vote.

“From the day the nomination process ends till the day of the voting we have 14 days. In this we have to print the postal ballot and send it, and the voter has to return it. To cut this time, the committee recommended sending it by electronic means,” Zaidi said.

Law Ministry sources said the voters will be provided with a ‘one time password’ to download the ballot paper. They will have to fill it up and post it to the election authorities.

“A suggestion made it that the voter can post the ballot to the nearest Indian mission or consulate. It will be then the duty of the mission to send it to either the MEA in New Delhi or Election Commission through diplomatic bag. The authorities in India can send the ballot to the concerned returning officer,” explained a senior Law Ministry official.

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