Election India and the mechanism change needed to suit fast life!

The turnaround in Bangalore's vote was an abyssmal 40-odd percent and I can see only one reason behind it. The election mechanism needs to suit the needs of a fast life. I am speaking of this strictly on the basis of why I didn't cast my vote.

Image Courtesy: Morguefile

This great cosmopoliton city has a large floating population. Most of us have come miles away from home to work here. On similar lines, a lot of Bangaloreans are settling or settled abroad or are outside Bangalore.
Every election, it becomes a challenge for us to cast our mandate, wherever we are.

Some may argue that I have been staying in Bangalore for some years now and by virtue of knowing problems we face, it becomes an obligation to cast vote here instead.

I agree but the first criteria to vote in Bangalore is to have our name de-registered in our home town. My home-town is a small cozy town in the laps of Himalayas.In the year 2007, I had been home and luckily the process of electoral registration was going on. Even then, I faced an uphill task getting my name added to the voter's list. In the hills, for reasons I am not clearly able to attribute, the process of doing any work is very slow. And last year, for most part of the year, offices were closed and government related work had come to a screeching halt. Therefore, I am very cynical about deregistration.

Voting is also about personal choices. I have been staying in two different constituencies in Bangalore in the last two years but have never been able to clearly identify with the leader. And my opinion about issues is that all issues are personal. For e.g) A person whose doesnt have leaky walls in an appartment will not complain for a person who has one. That is a fact in life!
For me, at the moment, the criteria is the situation there. I love Bangalore and I wish to settle here but as of now, I believe there are issues in my hometown that has greater significance. Now, am I voting there? No, because I had taken a long leave in November and to take leave again is a matter of financial and official contemplation.

Like me, I am sure hundreds of "Bangaloreans" had the same thought.Things would have been simpler for everyone if an alternative virtual ballot was in place. For those who can afford to, why don't we have a secure online voting system?

First, the government can save a lot of money instead of investing time(on preparation and counting) and money(100 bn) on the election. The corporate houses can save as well, beat me, instead of having a day's off! Some of us have already seen villagers booking tickets through IRCTC online so technology is IN!! Rural India will change as it is already.

Over years, online voting will be very hard to be rigged and will definitely be more popular than the current system.