'Has NOTA Improved Quality Of Leaders?: SC Calls For Mechanism To Make Voting Mandatory

Last Updated:February 25, 2026, 11:19 IST

The Supreme Court on Tuesday called for a mechanism to make voting compulsory in elections, citing low NOTA usage and concerns over voter turnout.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that there may be a need to devise an appropriate mechanism to encourage compulsory voting to strengthen democracy and reduce the relevance of the NOTA option.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that NOTA was introduced to motivate political parties to field better candidates and to encourage greater voter participation. However, the court pointed out that data from the past decade indicates that only a very small percentage of voters have opted for NOTA, according to a report in MoneyControl.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging a provision of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The petitioner argued that the law does not permit voters to exercise the NOTA option in elections where only one candidate is in the fray. The plea sought to make the NOTA facility available in all elections, including those with a sole contestant.

The PIL filed by legal think-tank, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, challenged validity of the Section 53(2) of the Representation of the People Act, which deals with the procedure in contested and uncontested elections.

NOTA (None of the Above) was introduced in 2013 following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in People’s Union for Civil Liberties vs Union of India, which directed the Election Commission to provide the option on electronic voting machines.

During the hearing, Justice Bagchi questioned whether the quality of elected representatives had improved since the introduction of NOTA. He remarked that NOTA cannot become an “entity" because it cannot occupy a seat even if it secures the highest number of votes.

The bench also expressed concern over a growing trend of lower voter turnout among educated and affluent citizens compared to other sections of society, including women and less-educated voters.

“Has the quality of leaders elected improved with NOTA. Because what tells me importantly is that the well off vote less and the the who are not economically well off vote more," Justice Bagchi said, according to Bar and Bench. The bench also said that there should be an endeavour to make voting compulsory in elections to ensure that good candidates win.

Attorney General R Venkataramani opposed the plea and said, “We are entering into too many hypothetical bases. Law cannot be tested like this. The right to vote is a constitutional right," PTI reported. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 17.

News india 'Has NOTA Improved Quality Of Leaders?: SC Calls For Mechanism To Make Voting Mandatory

Read More