Should Americans Have Freedom To Vote?

When it comes to democratic societies, where voting is an affirmation of one’s freedom and equality, and is the cornerstone of democracy, the freedom to abstain from making a choice is often missing. Citizens are given the freedom to vote for any candidate standing for elections, but few democracies give voters the explicit right to reject all the candidates, if they find no one suitable. In effect, citizens are given the freedom to choose but not to withhold making a choice
With the coming of electronic voting machines (EVMs), it was not even possible for voters to invalidate their votes by scratching out ballots or voting for two candidates. The only way to ensure that the vote is not wasted on an undeserving candidate was to not participate in the elections. As a result, Indian democracy has suffered from lower voting turnouts and growing dissatisfaction with the quality of candidates contesting elections. In the 2009 general elections, only 58% of registered voters cast their ballots, as against a high of 63% a quarter of a century ago. However, Indian voters going to the polls now have a new choice available to them: “none of the above (NOTA)”. The voters will not have to stand out of elections or invalidate their votes, or
Candidates and political parties contesting elections need to develop greater accountability and respect for the people they represent and the fear that the voters will not hesitate to reject and recall all of them should they become tainted or deviate from the path of public service. And if cleaning the politics requires total rethink and reform of our electoral structures, then so be it, and it is time to start the process. This will encourage honest and sincere candidates to enter politics knowing that voters want clean and nation-building politics, and that they have the tools to reject tainted