The Youth Vote: Is NOTA The Right Choice For You?

The print across all publications reads the same now. With the largest democratic exercise of all time (the 2014 Indian Lok Sabha elections) in full swing, it is time to boil down the frenzied press coverage of the last few months to a choice at the ballot box. For the most part, the media mania picked their own sides but there is an overarching view that most citizens seem to agree on despite the—our vote is not as much of a choice as it is a compromise. There is a clear existence of a pervasive “which is the least of all evils?” outlook to this election.

In that vein, a buzzworthy addition to the election conversation this year has been the none of the above (NOTA) option. Added to the electronic voting machines for the first time, it may have been the youth’s automated response to multiple choice examinations they weren’t prepared for, but what does it translate into within the context of these elections?

Uzra Khan investigates and reveals everything you need to know about NOTA before you make an informed choice.