The recent Vice Presidential election, won by NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan, has drawn attention to the 15 invalid votes cast. This has triggered a discussion on the circumstances leading to vote invalidation and the methods used to identify these instances.
The assumption about which political group’s vote was invalid often comes from observing errors in the voting process. For example, if an MP mistakenly marked the box next to CP Radhakrishnan’s name, it’s generally inferred that the MP was from the NDA. Conversely, a similar mistake near Sudarshan Reddy’s name would suggest an error by an INDIA alliance MP.
Votes can be deemed invalid due to various factors, including the use of an incorrect pen. Official election guidelines mandate the use of a specific pen provided by election officials. In case of any challenges, the ink from this pen can be used as evidence in forensic investigations. Other reasons for invalidation include writing preference in words rather than numbers (e.g., ‘one’ or ‘two’), exceeding the lines of the box while writing the number, or marking the same preference for both candidates.
**Vice Presidential Election: Voting and Counting Procedures**
The election process involves secret ballots cast by members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The ballot papers do not contain any identifying marks to maintain the secrecy of the MP’s vote. Each MP is given a ballot paper with a unique number, which is concealed before the ballot is placed in the ballot box to prevent the identification of the MP based on the ballot number.
**Ballot Paper Structure:**
* Boxes are located adjacent to the names of the candidates.
* MPs are instructed to mark their preferences using numbers (1 and 2).
* MPs can choose to indicate only their first preference.
* Preferences must only be written in numerical format and not in words.
* The use of the international number system, Roman numerals, or any Indian language is acceptable.
* Indicating multiple preferences is not mandatory.
**Counting Process:**
* All ballot papers are initially sorted.
* Valid and invalid votes are separated.
* The winning quota is determined using the total number of valid votes.
* Formula: (Valid votes ÷ 2) + 1
**Example: If the total valid votes are 700, the winning quota will be 351.**
* The candidate who secures more votes than the first preference quota is declared the winner.