Malayali’s are said to be obsessed with politics and the ones who are involved in voting ardently. There’s a saying that if you take out Malayali’s out of the country, they will still turn up to vote. That is the reason that 92% of Keralities accounts NRIs who have registered themselves as overseas electors.
The state has witnessed an increase in the number of overseas elector’s i.e from 12,653 in 2014 to 66,584 as of January 30, 2019. The increase is recorded to be fivefold irrespective of the fact the number is small inn fraction compared to the country’s total NRI population of 1.3 crores. The majority of 71,735 overseas electors registered in the country hail from Kerala and that evidence shows enthusiasm among non-resident Keralites to participate in the polling.
Statistic data further reveals that of the total 66,584 overseas electors from the state, 3729 are women and eight third gender persons have registered.
The expat organization has conducted mass online voter enrolment drives, especially after Lok Sabha passed a bill in August 2018 to allow NRIs to appoint proxy voters who can vote for them.
Till now, NRIs can vote in their hometown after getting registered as an overseas voter. As of now, there is no provision for online voting despite the fact that many are keen to do so.
