As Lok Sabha elections are just three days away, non-resident Indians (NRI), including non-resident Gujaratis, decide whether to fly to their homeland or refrain from voting due to a lack of online voting facilities.

Can an NRI vote in Indian elections?

A person who is a citizen of India and who has not acquired the citizenship of any other country and is otherwise eligible to be registered as a voter.

They should have gone abroad owing to his employment, education, or otherwise is eligible to be registered as a voter in the constituency in which his place of residence in India is mentioned in their passport, according to provisions of Section 20A of the Representation of People Act, 1950, by the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010.

So, NRI will not be issued an EPIC (electoral photo identity card), as he is allowed to cast his vote in an election in the constituency in person at the polling station through their original passport.

How many NRI voters are in Gujarat?

Non-resident Gujaratis not keen to vote?

NRIs are supposed to visit the Election Commission’s (ECI) website and fill out the 6A form to vote in their constituency.

Despite the large number of Gujaratis residing abroad, only a few opt to travel to India and register to vote.

During the 2017 Assembly elections, only 64 Gujaratis registered to vote in the state.

Officials believe that due to a lack of online or postal ballot facilities, very few NRIs visit India to vote. Many bared themselves to even register the vote. 

During the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, a total of 13,039 NRIs registered to vote in India, out of which only eight showed up to vote in India.

Four were from Gujarat, two from Chandigarh, and the other two from Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Notably, the ECI will announce the number of NRI registrations before the Lok Sabha elections begin on Apr 19.

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