The 'None Of The Above' (Nota) option on electronic voting machines (EVMs) finally got its own symbol — a small ballot paper with a black cross on it. The Nota symbol will make its debut in the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections and Surat bypolls.
The symbol has been designed by Prof Tarun Deep Girdher of NID, Ahmedabad, and has been approved by the Election Commission of India. It took Prof Girdher more than five months to design it. His team worked in close collaboration with Gujarat chief electoral officer Anita Karwal.
The symbol will appear against the Nota option in the last panel on all EVMs and ballot papers. The symbol is simple and unambiguous. A cross on the list of candidates depicts the voter's decision not to vote for any candidate. The cross is a universal sign denoting disapproval. This makes the Nota symbol easy to recognize and remember.
Professor Girdher, senior NID professor, graphic design, and head, print labs and publications, worked with his team member Rana Swarajsinh on developing alternatives for the logo that were also presented to the EC in New Delhi.
In 2013, the Supreme Court had directed the EC to introduce a button for Nota in EVMs and a symbol on ballot papers to allow voters to exercise their right to reject a candidate as unworthy. Earlier, voters who wanted to reject all candidates had the option of filling form 49-O at a voting booth but this compromised the secrecy of the ballot.
Source:-The Times of India
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