- By Talib Khan
- Sun, 13 Oct 2019 06:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: The assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana are just 7 days away as the polling will begin on 21 October and the results will be declared on October 24 as per the schedule presented by the Election Commission of India. Political parties have geared up and started poll campaigns in every district.
The beginning of the elections also marks the starting of political debates within the voters and also some questions related to the polling emerge in the minds of the voters.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions by the voters at the time of elections.
What is the limit of expenditure for candidates contesting the elections?
As per the Election Commission of India, every candidate will get Rs. 28 lakh in each seat. The candidates have to maintain a separate account and have to file the election expenses with the ECI. All candidates have to submit the expenses to the ECI within 30 days of the completion of elections. Any incorrect account or expenses surpassing the limit decided can lead to the disqualification of the candidate for up to three years under Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
What are EVM and VVPAT?
The Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is the electronic machine that keeps a record for the number of votes. Previously it had two units called the control unit and balloting unit. But after 2010 the ECI has introduced another unit called the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The VVPAT shows the voters that their vote has been recorded correctly by showing a printing paper receipt, in which the name of the party you have voted for appears for 7 seconds.
Are the EVMs trustworthy?
According to the ECI, the EVM is an accurate machine and cannot be tampered by third parties. However, questions on its credibility have been asked from time to time, especially by the opposition parties who lost the elections. To shut the questions the ECI had earlier organised a ‘hackathon’ to show how the EVM works. But the questions still persist regarding its tamper-proof technology.
How many votes can be cast in EVMs?
According to the Election Commission of India, a single EVM can record a maximum of 2,000 votes.
What is NOTA? When it was introduced? And what is its relevance?
The ‘None of The Above’ (NOTA) is a voting option on the EVM machine. It was introduced in 2013 after the Supreme Court of India passes an order to add NOTA option to the EVM. By choosing NOTA, a voter can reject all the candidates who are contesting the elections from his/her constituency, if he/she didn’t like the candidates that were contesting.
Can someone vote by using Aadhar Card without having a Voter Id card?
Anyone can cast a vote by using his/her Aadhar Card as Id proof in the elections if he/she has their name in the voter list.
