‘Violates secrecy’: Voter surrenders ballot paper

Margao: In an unusual turn of events at a Curtorim polling station, a voter, Rupesh Shinkre, decided that the best way to make his voice heard was to refuse to vote—officially, that is. Shinkre showed up at his booth, collected his ballot paper as required, but then promptly gave it back to bemused election officials, insisting his refusal be recorded. Shinkre argued that the numbered ballot papers, which correspond with counterfoils bearing voters’ signatures, could compromise the secrecy of votes, which he said violated the constitutional guarantee under Article 19(1)(a). “If someone can trace which ballot belongs to which voter, can we really call it a secret ballot?” he questioned in his letter to the presiding officer. The absence of a NOTAoption also fuelled his decision to refuse to vote. He said there was “no acceptable alternative” among the candidates.