Julius Randle's Injury Status: Surgery Not Off the Table
NavaBharat-Sculptors
1. Save Elections – Save Democracy
Introducing electoral reforms to reduce the
influence of money and muscle power in
politics
2. How many of the “Voters” , even
the politically aware, do really
know of the competing candidates
and their backgrounds ??
Can’t the common man be made
partner to effectively intercept the
malpractices??
Can’t the blooming technology
beat the muscle power ??
Why won’t the unworthy win,
when half the people who know
the value of vote and unaffected
by money and muscle, do not
exercise their POWER ??
Thought Provoking
Questions
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6+
%ofwinnerswithnocriminal
background
No of candidates with criminal background
Tainted Constituency Analysis
If voters have a choice, they prefer a clean and capable
candidate
25% of the campaign expenditure of 2009 elections was
used to directly buy votes through money and liquor
The voter turnout in 2009 elections is 58% and in urban
areas it is struggling to reach 50%
There are records that some MP’s use their muscle power
to tilt the voting count
In constituencies
with only one tainted
candidate, voters
choose
83%(125/150) of the
clean candidates.(i)
The percentage has
gone down with
increasing number of
tainted candidates.
3. The Solution
Building
Awareness
• Distribution
of Brochures
• Public
Candidate
Conference
Controlling
Electoral
Frauds
• Use of
Advanced
EVM’s
• 24*7
Helpline
Increasing
Polling
percentage
• Universal
Voting
Centers
• Effective
Campaigning
Creating &
Managing
Resources
• 5-10% of
expenditure
• NGO
Collaboration
• More No. of
Phases
4. Distribution of Brochures
“Information matters”
Information Brochures supplied to every voter.
Brochure should contain the following details:
Campaigning the same information orally in rural areas and areas with high
illiteracy.
Promotion of NGO’s regarding the campaigning of the information
• Personal Details (Name, Age, Sex, Photo)
• Financial Background and Assets
• Agenda for the constituency
• Previous service experience
• Criminal Background
• Education and occupation
Candidate
details:
• Details of Candidate conference to be conducted
• Electoral Fraud Activities and Punishments
• Help Line
• Promos to increase poll percentage
Other Details:
5. Public Candidate ConferenceMandatoryPublicCandidate
Conference
Public conference of contesting candidates to be held under the supervision
of EC
Takes place in the presence of heads of local bodies (panchayats and
municipalities), who represent the issues of general public
Discussion of agendas and the plan of action of the issues by each candidate
Disqualification of the candidate in the case of their absence
The Partnership of local media will be sought to bring the proceedings into the
public
6. Technology ki Aadhaar
Introduction of Advanced EVM s:
Merits of this system:
– Elimination of rigging, proxy, double voting and other electoral malpractices.
– Technically feasible and inexpensive
Advanced EVMs
with inbuilt
fingerprint
scanning
technology to
verify the identity
of the voters
simultaneously
while they cast
the vote.
Vote does
not get
recorded in
the case of
mismatch of
the
fingerprint
The database of
voters (names
and primary
fingerprint) in
the particular
poling booth will
be transferred to
the local server
maintained at the
booth
Can be
monitored
under video
surveillance
provided in
controversial
areas
7. Elimination of Note To Vote
Action When By Function/Benefit
Arrangement of
24 X 7 helpline
From 2 weeks
Before Election
State EC body To receive complaints on
electoral malpractices
from citizens
Arrangement of
Quick Response
Force (Local
level)
From 1 week
before election
Non- local
police force
Instant response to the
complaints received via
helpline
Closing of Wine
shops
3 Days before the
election
State EC Reduction in supply and
distribution of alcohol
during elections
Encouragement
of NGO’s and
local College
students
Few months before
elections
Local activists
and EC
To make people aware of
the electoral malpractices
and the negative side of
it
8. Increasing Voter Turnout
Universal Voting Centers (UVCs):
– A facility to cast vote outside your home constituency.
– Voters have to register (in person) the change before the polling date in the
small registration centers maintained for 20-30 days at a number of places.
– Some of the polling booths can be provided with extra equipment and
designated as UVCs( with more of them set up in urban and semi urban areas)
– The extra equipment may consists of special EVM with digital display of
candidates and symbols, the data of the pre-registered voters and corresponding
candidates.
Campaigning and promotion of the importance of vote through
advertisement, brochures, celebrities, NGO’s and students
Encouraging the Employer to ensure voting by all their
employees even in emergency sectors by balancing the work
schedule accordingly.
9. ChallengesHuman
Resources
• The election procedure is to be conducted in more phases and over a long period(3-
4 months) to overcome the Human Resource and Equipment Deficit.
• For maintaining the Quick Response Force, Police force from CRPF and other
private security organizations can be utilized.
• For dissemination of information and other campaigning needs, local NGOs’
official collaboration can be sought and can be encouraged by awards for best
services.
• Interested youth/volunteers (local) can be given training to spread the awareness
and to inform any kind of malpractices.
Financial
• 5-10% of the campaign expenditure is levied as a fee on each candidate –which
would be sufficient to conduct the public conferences and local campaigns, which
in turn force them to reduce their expenditure.
• The increased number of phases would facilitate the use of same equipment in all
phases reducing the equipment cost.
Technological
• Servers: Local servers can be easily maintained and the results can be transferred
to the central servers later after the completion of polling phase.
• E- Data : For the finger print and other data of voters, data of UIDAI can be used.
The whole process could be launched as a pilot project in 2014 in states like AP
where the Aadhar process is close to completion
10. Impact of the Solution
• The brochures and public discussions make people aware of the candidates who are worthy,
irrespective of their wealth, popularity and association with large parties
• Over the time, voter’s decision would rely more on these discussions rather than on the
candidate’s traditional campaigning, thereby reducing its importance
• This would force contestants to focus on problems of the constituency during these
discussions thereby reducing the money factor
• Effective use of the Quick response forces would curb money and liquor distribution
enormously.
• With the help of fingerprint verification and video surveillance, the incidences of usage of
muscle power to tilt the count, or other malpractices can be effectively eliminated.
• With the Universal Voting Centers, increasing voter turn out, especially in urban and semi-
urban areas, the overall effect of money and muscle on the results would be minimized
11. References
* Loksabha Election Watch2009- Articles by ADR India
* ACCHE CHUNO? Abhijit V. Banerjee, Selvan Kumar, Rohini Pande and Felix Su Published
in the Hindustan Times, April 21, 2009
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_Identification_Authority_of_India
* CRIMINALISATION OF POLITICS AND CONVICTIONAL DISQUALIFICATION S.N.
Sharma*
* BACKGROUND PAPER ON ELECTORAL REFORMS - LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT-
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
* http://swaminomics.org/fallacies-about-voter-turnout/, http://www.nonprofitvote.org/voter-
turnout-factors.html,
* http://ibnlive.in.com/news/low voter turnout-a-reality-for-big-indian-cities/230915-37-
170.html
* http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-10-18/mumbai/28098688_1_urban-voters-
assembly-polls-polling-day
* Fingerprint Identification - Overview and Implementation - Computer Security Division
Information Technology Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology
* http://uidai.gov.in/images/FrontPageUpdates/data_protection_and_security_guidelines_for_re
gistrar.pdf