Millions of India’s Migrant Workers Excluded from Voting in National Elections

India's massive voting events exclude millions of migrant workers from exercising their democratic rights. Due to the rule that voters can only vote in their home areas, migrant workers, who form a crucial part of India's economy, are effectively barred from voting. This rule poses a crucial challenge to voting process in India.

Chanu Gupta, a 59-year-old street vendor in Mumbai, is one among the millions of migrant workers who didn't got chance to vote in the approaching national election. This rule partially affects migrant workers, who are a very important part of India's economy. Many migrant workers, mainly daily wage earners, doesn't find it possible to return to their nearby areas to cast their votes.

The amount of this issue is shocking, with an estimated 600 million migrant workers in India in 2020, amounting 43% of population of the country. These workers, often comes from poor rural areas, get distributed to urban centers like Mumbai for search of employment opportunities for supporting their families.

Mumbai, India's richest city, conducts a mixed migrant workforce from all over the country. 2011 national census, more than 43% of Mumbai's population were workers from different parts, who originating from thrifty disadvantaged states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

Indian citizens living in foreign countries, some where around 13.6 million, facing similar obstacle in casting their votes. While their situations differ, they too are not able to vote online or by mail. Instead, they should register as "overseas voters" and should travel back to their hometowns in India to exercise their voting rights.

The Election Commission of India addressed this problem in a report from 2022 and suggested solutions, for example opening voting machines that can be accessed from remote locations. However, till 2023, the government has not executed such solutions.

For most of the migrant workers, the voting right remains an unachievable thing. The urgent need for changes in voting system is clear, that will make sure that every Indian citizen, regardless of their socioeconomic status or place of residence, can execute their basic fundamental right to vote.