<p>The Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections are just around the corner, and soon, lakhs of people will set out to elect the next state government for the coming five years.</p>.<p>With that in mind, here is all you need to know about NOTA - one of the options put on the Electronic Voting Machine, for people who disagree with the political parties in the fray.</p>.<p><strong>What is NOTA?</strong></p>.<p>In India, if a voter does not support any of the candidates contesting in a particular election, but has to vote for something, then they can select the ‘None of the above’ (NOTA) option. This option empowers the voter to reject all the candidates listed on the electronic voting machine (EVM).</p>.<p><strong>Election FAQs | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/election-faqs-what-is-the-model-code-of-conduct-1156656.html" target="_blank">What is the model code of conduct?</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>When was it first used?</strong></p>.<p>NOTA was used for the first time in the 2013 Assembly elections in five states - Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh - and later in the 2014 General Elections. It was introduced into the electoral process following the 2013 Supreme Court directive in the PUCL versus Union of India case.</p>.<p>The Supreme Court reasoned that the NOTA option would allow voters to express their discontent with the political parties and the candidates they put up and thus, help cleanse the political system.</p>.<p><strong>Does it have any impact on the results?</strong></p>.<p>NOTA has no electoral value in the Indian system. Even if the maximum votes are given in favour of NOTA, the candidate with the largest number of votes, which could theoretically even be just one, will still be declared the winner.</p>.<p><strong>What purpose does it serve?</strong></p>.<p>Despite NOTA not having an electoral value, it is still a very significant tool for voters. It gives voters a chance to express their discontent with the candidates in the fray.</p>
<p>The Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections are just around the corner, and soon, lakhs of people will set out to elect the next state government for the coming five years.</p>.<p>With that in mind, here is all you need to know about NOTA - one of the options put on the Electronic Voting Machine, for people who disagree with the political parties in the fray.</p>.<p><strong>What is NOTA?</strong></p>.<p>In India, if a voter does not support any of the candidates contesting in a particular election, but has to vote for something, then they can select the ‘None of the above’ (NOTA) option. This option empowers the voter to reject all the candidates listed on the electronic voting machine (EVM).</p>.<p><strong>Election FAQs | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/election-faqs-what-is-the-model-code-of-conduct-1156656.html" target="_blank">What is the model code of conduct?</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>When was it first used?</strong></p>.<p>NOTA was used for the first time in the 2013 Assembly elections in five states - Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh - and later in the 2014 General Elections. It was introduced into the electoral process following the 2013 Supreme Court directive in the PUCL versus Union of India case.</p>.<p>The Supreme Court reasoned that the NOTA option would allow voters to express their discontent with the political parties and the candidates they put up and thus, help cleanse the political system.</p>.<p><strong>Does it have any impact on the results?</strong></p>.<p>NOTA has no electoral value in the Indian system. Even if the maximum votes are given in favour of NOTA, the candidate with the largest number of votes, which could theoretically even be just one, will still be declared the winner.</p>.<p><strong>What purpose does it serve?</strong></p>.<p>Despite NOTA not having an electoral value, it is still a very significant tool for voters. It gives voters a chance to express their discontent with the candidates in the fray.</p>