The Supreme Court of India refused to hear a PIL seeking compulsory voting, calling it a policy matter beyond judicial powers. The Court stressed that democracy depends on awareness, not force, and rejected penalties for non-voters.
The Supreme Court asked whether the NOTA option has truly improved the “quality” of elected leaders, observing that it cannot fill a seat even if it gets maximum votes. The Court is hearing a plea seeking NOTA in uncontested elections and has listed the matter for March 17.
