Enabling voting rights for migrants
Relevance
- GS Paper 2: Electoral reforms, Rights of Migrant Workers
Context
- In states like Bihar, with high out-migration, voter turnout remains low due to migrant disenfranchisement.
- Example: Bihar’s turnout in 2024 LS elections was 56%, below the national average (66%).
Migration Trends in India
- Migration rate (2021): 28.9%
- Majority for marriage (especially women)
- ~10% migrate for work, higher in northern & eastern states
- 85% are intra-State migrants, rest inter-State
- Migrants, especially in the informal sector, are effectively disenfranchised.
Challenges for Migrant Voting
- Lack of permanent address proof
- Job insecurity prevents travel to native place during elections
- No institutional mechanism yet to enable their voting
- Election Commission of India (ECI) has made proposals, but no implementation yet
Proposed Solutions
- For Intra-State Migrants
- Short-distance travel to native constituency
- Enforce polling day holiday and provide special transport services
- For Inter-State Migrants
- Remote Electronic Voting Machines (RVMs):
- Pilot project by ECI (2023)
- Can cater to 72 constituencies per machine
- Faced objections from political parties (identification, MCC, logistics)
- Postal Ballots:
- Already used by armed forces
- Requires advance registration
- Less complex than RVMs, but still needs coordination
- Switching Voting Constituency:
- For long-term migrants (6+ months)
- Encourages local political integration
- May face resistance from native residents
- Women Migrants (post-marriage):
- Special enrolment drives to include them in new local rolls
Way Forward: A Mixed Model
- Combination of RVMs, postal ballots, and re-registration
- Tailored to migrant type and mobility
- Ensures greater inclusion and strengthens democratic participation
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