Date:06/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/06/stories/2006040618890200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Helping people exercise their franchise

Special Correspondent

Bangalore-based professionals propose online voting

Bangalore: Those habitually surfing the Net would have come across the website www.RemoteVoting.co.in.

Those curious enough to visit the site would have found out what a group of young information technology professionals in Bangalore has been doing to make sure more people use their most precious democratic right: voting in elections.

Ashish Ananda, who first took up the campaign and since then has reported positive response from the Election Commission of India, says: "Under the current voting system when you have to be physically present in a polling booth in your area on election day, at least 25 per cent of people are unable to vote even if they want to."

"Proxy voting, booth capturing, misspelled or missing names on the rolls, changes of address and subsequent changes in booths which may not be known in time and even being on duty on election day are other reasons because of which many do not get to vote," says Mr. Anand.

He and his friends strongly feel the percentage of voting has to increase for democracy to succeed, and their solution is online voting, making use of information technology and the power of the worldwide web.

The Election Commission in each State can designate places where online voting is possible, and these may be public offices or even post offices, they say.

At the time of enrolment as a voter, an online ID can also be given over a secure means as in the case of bank automated teller machines, known only to the voter. This can be used to register the online vote.