NOTA – UPSC Prelims

  • NOTA is ballot option designed to allow voter to indicate disapproval of all of the candidates in a voting system.
  • It was introduced in 2013 after Supreme Court of India directed Election Commission to provide NOTA button in the electronic voting machines.
  • NOTA option was first used in 2013 assembly elections held in four States – Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
  • 2014 Lok Sabha election was first general election to see its nationwide use of NOTA, where it polled 1.1% of the votes.
  • NOTA is not right to reject i.e. candidate with maximum votes wins the election irrespective of the number of NOTA votes polled.
  • Election Commission also has clarified that even though votes cast as NOTA are counted, they are considered as invalid votes so they will not change outcome of election process.

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