Following the recent Vice Presidential election, won by NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan, the focus has turned to the issue of invalid votes. With 15 votes declared invalid, questions arise regarding the conditions that lead to vote invalidation and how these are identified.
The potential source of the invalid votes is often assessed by analyzing the errors in the voting process. An incorrect mark near CP Radhakrishnan’s name on the ballot paper might suggest the vote originated from an NDA MP. Conversely, an error next to Sudarshan Reddy’s name could indicate a mistake by an INDIA alliance MP.
Several actions can cause a vote to be deemed invalid. One is the use of the incorrect pen; election officials provide a specific pen that must be used. The ink from the pen can be used in forensic examinations if a vote is challenged. Other reasons for invalidation include writing preferences in words rather than numbers (e.g., ‘one’ or ‘two’), writing the number outside the designated box, or writing the same number next to both candidates.
**Understanding the Voting and Counting Process in the Vice Presidential Election**
The Vice Presidential election involves secret voting by members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. To maintain the secrecy of the vote, the ballot papers do not have any identifying marks. Each MP receives a ballot paper with a unique number, which is concealed before the ballot is placed in the ballot box, preventing the MP’s identity from being revealed through the ballot number.
**Ballot Paper Structure:**
* Boxes are provided next to the names of the candidates.
* MPs are instructed to write their preferences using numbers (1 and 2).
* MPs can choose to only indicate their first preference.
* Preferences must only be written in numerals, not words.
* The international number system, Roman numerals, or any Indian language can be used for writing numbers.
* Indicating more than one preference is not compulsory.
**Counting Process:**
* All ballot papers are sorted first.
* Valid and invalid votes are separated.
* The winning quota is calculated based on the total number of valid votes.
* Formula: (Valid votes ÷ 2) + 1
**Example: If there are 700 valid votes, the winning quota is 351.**
* The candidate who secures more votes than the first preference quota wins the election.