Last year the Supreme Court finalized that the voters have a right to reject every candidate who contests the elections, with an idea that it would go a long way cleansing the political system. Here's everything that you must need to know about NOTA.

1. Most Important 10 Things You Should Know About NOTA
NOTA gives a voter his “right to reject”.
Last year the Supreme Court finalized that the voters have a
right to reject every candidate who contests the elections, with
an idea that it would go a long way cleansing the political
system. Here's everything that you must need to know about
NOTA.
What is
NOTA?
Last year
the
Supreme
Court
finalized
that the
voters
have a
right to
reject every candidate who contests the elections, with an idea
that it would go a long way cleansing the political system of the
country. The apex court told the Election Commission to have
an option of 'None Of The Above' (NOTA) on the electronic
voting machines or EVMs and ballot papers which were a major
electoral reform.
How is a NOTA vote cast?
The EVMs keeps the NOTA option at the end of the list of
candidates. Prior to this, in order to cast a negative ballot, a
voter had to tell the officer at the polling booth. A NOTA vote
doesn't need the presiding officer to get involved ever.
When was NOTA first used in India; how did it
performed?
The option for NOTA was first used during the assembly

2. elections, last year which was held in 5 states. Over 15 lakh
people exercised the option in the state's polls. The figure was
but lesser than 1.5% of the total voters. About 50,000 voters
opted for NOTA in Delhi; 3.56 L in Chhattisgarh; 5.9 L in
Madhya Pradesh and 5.67 L in Rajasthan.
It's heard that there was a similar provision before
NOTA. What was it?
Prior to NOTA, people casting negative votes had to enter their
names in a register and cast their vote on a separate paper
ballot.The presiding officer would next put a remark on the
form and get it signed by the voter as an act to avoid fraud or
misuse of votes.
What difference does NOTA make?
A senior EC official said the NOTA option will never impact the
results of the elections.The NOTA option has no electoral value.
Though the maximum number of votes cast is for NOTA, the
candidate who’s getting remaining votes is declared the winner.
Why NOTA exist if there is 'no electoral value'?
The SC said negative voting would at least encourage every
people to turn up and express their opinion and reject the
contestants.
Negative voting leads to a systemic change in polls and political
parties and will be driving force to bring the clean candidates. If
the right to vote is a must, then the right to reject a candidate
is also a basic right of speech and expression under the
Constitution, as stated by a bench headed by then Chief Justice
of India, P Sathasivam.
How are 49(O) and NOTA different?
The 49 (O) remain annulled after the SC cleared the NOTA
provision. It gives a chance to find out the reason behind their
negative opinion about a candidate through the voter's
remarks. Through NOTA, it remains uncertain, the reason for

3. the rejection. Also, it saves the identity of a voter and hence
keeps the concept of secret balloting intact.
Which other countries permit NOTA?
Colombia, Ukraine, Brazil, Bangladesh, Finland, Spain, Sweden,
Chile, France, Belgium, and Greece permit their voters to cast
NOTA votes. The US follows it in some cases.
NOTA cleared, politicians want compulsory voting now!
Leaders of the BJP, Narendra Modi, and LK Advani, welcomed
the NOTA provision. But, they asked for another 'electoral
reform'. Both leaders said that voting must be made mandatory.
Once Mr. Advani said and wrote in his blog that voters, without
any legitimate justification, did not exercise the valuable right
of a franchise that the Indian Constitution has put on them
have, unwittingly hence, been casting a negative vote against
all the contesting candidates without any intention on the
same.
He added to that, therefore, he holds, that a negative vote
would be really meaningful if it is accompanied also by the
introduction of compulsory voting.
Using 'NOTA', on a lighter note
After his withdrawal from the contest for the Chandigarh Lok
Sabha seat as the AAP candidate Savita Bhatti, comedian Jaspal
Bhatti's widow and actor, have floated the 'NOTA Party' with a
was of currency notes being its election symbol. Bhatti said that
the party is inspired by the NOTA option which has been given
to the voters.
It seems every party is targeting against corruption, rather with
these initiatives, where would the corrupt go? So they decided
that their party will offer a platform to only the corrupts. They
are highly skilled and people with vast networking. So their
strengths must also be utilized, said Savita who took a dig at
the launch.

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