Poll Officers Can't Force Electors Who 'Refuse' To Vote At Booths: Voting Rule
NDTV
That right, which is separate from the provision to vote under NOTA, can be exercised under the 'Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 Rule 49-O', which elaborates the little-known option for electors to abstain from voting even after reaching the polling booth.
At a time when the Election Commission pledges to leave no stone unturned to bring eligible voters to polling stations to exercise their franchise, not many electors are aware of their right to "refuse to vote" even after registering their identities before the presiding officer.
That right, which is separate from the provision to vote under NOTA, can be exercised under the 'Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 Rule 49-O', which elaborates the little-known option for electors to abstain from voting even after reaching the polling booth.
While the NOTA (None Of The Above) option allows voters to express their lack of confidence in any of the candidates seeking mandate, the 'refusal to vote' option allows an elector to shun the poll process in its entirety.
