New Delhi: India and the US world’s largest and oldest democracies are going for polls this year.
India is currently undergoing the elections to elect its new government at the centre where PM Modi is contesting for a third term. On the other hand, US President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump are once again face to face with each other this year in November for the upcoming US Presidential Elections.
In a big democratic nation, policies are implemented on a large scale. Considering the population size of the nation, it can be a challenging task to assimilate everyone’s opinion in the electoral mandate and find a middle ground. To ensure that the formation of the government is smooth and caters to the will of the majority of the population, democratic countries periodically hold free and fair elections. Let’s find out the differences in how the elections are conducted in India and the United States.
How Indian Elections Are Different From The US?
The nature of their party systems is the primary distinction between the US and Indian election processes. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the two major political parties in the US. Their opposing views are the primary cause of contention and discussion during elections. Despite their existence, the Green Party, Libertarian Party, and other smaller parties are regarded as autonomous entities because they are anomalies and cannot compete with the two big parties.
India, on the other hand, has multiple parties that operate on the state level and only a few that successfully operate at the national level. The Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two biggest political parties in India. Like in the USA, there is a significant ideological difference between these, giving voters a choice in the elections.
Many worthy candidates are typically supplied by the regional parties. There is a dominating regional party in most states. To hold onto the majority and the public’s favour, the two major national parties have been forced to create coalitions with these groups. Regional parties like the AIADMK and Trinamool Congress, for instance, are quite prominent in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The BJP and INC cannot claim any influence in this situation. In contrast, regional parties typically have dynamic policies that are focused on the demands and responses of the people in their state rather than rigid ideologies outlined in their manifestos.
Differences in Voting System
On election day in India, voters cast their ballots using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). If you are unable to vote because you are abroad, it also enables a proxy to cast a ballot on your behalf. Although the Election Commission of India (ECI) has allowed foreign voters to cast electronic ballots, this technique is still not very popular.
In contrast, the United States has a versatile voting system that allows you to cast a ballot via a variety of recognized methods. Voters have several options, such as early voting, mail-in absentee voting, and in-person voting at polling places. But in India and the USA, scanning and counting votes are essentially the same.
Differences in the power of Election Boards
The elections are hosted by independent and autonomous election bodies in the US and India. The US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the Federal Election Commission are the two federal agencies in the United States. However, because the majority of their work is limited to establishing campaign financing restrictions, these organizations are unable to exercise control.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), on the other hand, is more empowered to handle matters such as organizing elections, tallying votes, establishing financial guidelines, and enlisting the assistance of local military forces and police to ensure a transparent and faultless voting process.
