The Origin of Elections: A Journey Through Time

Elections are a systematic procedure where citizens register votes and elect members for different government positions. Elections are the foundation of a democracy, wherein the elder population of a nation elects the public representatives. These representatives who are chosen must bring positive change in the policies and make necessary decisions for the improvement of the society and country.

People can nominate another party to form the government if they are dissatisfied with the current government, its policies, and how it functions. But when did it all begin, let’s look into the journey of the Evolution of Elections. 

The Beginning 

Ancient Greece since 508 B.C., seems to have implemented the earliest form of democracy.  Greeks had a “negative” election, that is, each year voters, who were the male landowners, were asked to vote for the political leader or “candidates” they most wanted to be accepted for the next ten years. During that period, there was a ballot system where voters wrote their choice on broken pieces of pots, ostraka in Greek, and from this name comes our present word to ostracize or excluded. If any “candidate” received more than 6,000 votes then the one with the largest number was exiled. 

Medieval Venice, Italy 

During the 13th century, the Venetian elected the Great Council comprised of 40 members. The Venetians implemented “approval voting.” In this type of election, electors give one vote for every candidate they find acceptable and none for those they find unacceptable. The winner was the person who was acceptable to the largest number of voters.

Elections in the Contemporary World 

The beginning of elections in the contemporary world lies in the gradual emergence of representative government in Europe and North America started in the 17th century. At that time, the whole system of representation characteristic of the Middle Ages was transformed into a more individualistic conception, one that made the critical unit count.

Formation of Universal Suffrage 

In Africa, competitive elections based on universal suffrage were introduced in three different periods. In the 1950s and ’60s, several countries held elections following decolonization. Although many of them returned to authoritarian forms of rule, there were exceptions (e.g., Botswana and Gambia). In the late 1970s, elections were introduced in a smaller number of countries when some military dictatorships were dissolved (e.g., Ghana and Nigeria). 

Proponents of full democracy supported the establishment of universal adult suffrage. Across Western Europe and North America, adult male suffrage was ensured almost everywhere by 1920, though woman suffrage was not established until somewhat later (e.g., 1928 in Britain, 1944 in France, 1949 in Belgium, and 1971 in Switzerland).

Arrival of Women Suffrage 

The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote after 1920. This amendment resulted from an international movement of “Suffragettes.” However, around the world, women have not been treated equally. Women still lacked the right to vote in Switzerland until the 1970s, and as of 1990 women could not vote in Kuwait. There are many other countries where women and citizens still have not attained the privilege of voting. 

Evolution of Voting Rights 

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed following the Civil War, in the later 1860s. They outlawed slavery and extended civil rights and voting rights to former slaves. The right to vote for African Americans was established but prohibited blacks from voting until the 1960s Voting Rights Act.

American history is based on ever-increasing rights, including voting rights. The rules that apply to eligible voters have evolved dramatically since 1776 when it was believed that all men were created equal, but that equality only applied to some. When America was young, only white men over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. However, one of the strengths of our country is our ability to grow, change and adapt the positivity. 

With the backdrop of the Vietnam War, many U.S. citizens felt that if you were old enough to be drafted into the military to serve your country, then you were certainly old enough to vote. After the 26th Amendment was passed and reduced the voting age from 21 to 18. 

Voting System 

1-Electoral System

An electoral system is a set of rules for counting votes to determine the outcome of elections, typically involving methods like first past the post or proportional representation. Proportional representation is used in some areas to ensure a fairer distribution of legislative seats to constituencies that may be denied representation under the plurality formulas. 

2- Proxy voting 

Proxy voting is a form of voting in which an individual may give their voting power to a person to vote on their behalf. Long before during UK elections, women sometimes voted as proxies for absent male family heads. Also, India introduced Proxy Voting in 2018 for NRI participation in elections through registration, outreach efforts, and exploring electronic voting methods. 

 When did this election come into existence in India? 

Elections in India 

India always had many small kingdoms and more than 500 princely states before the British Raj. The monarchy had rulers always based on heirs from royal families. All this changed in August 1947 Under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V.P. Menon who convinced the rulers of princely states to accede to India. The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and became effective on 26 January 1950.

The first General Elections of India started on 25th October 1951 and continued till 21st February 1952. The first vote of this election was given at Chini in Himachal Pradesh. It was an overwhelming victory for the Indian National Congress as Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first elected Prime Minister. The first Lok Sabha had a record 677 sittings and it was there from April 1952 to April 1957.

Now 2024 is considered to be a record year for Elections around the world. More than 2 billion voters in 50 countries will head to the polls, according to The Center for American Progress, a US policy institute. More than 900 million people are registered to vote in India and are hoping for the re-election of Narendra Modi for a third five-year term. 

It is an appeal to readers to give your important vote to a deserving candidate who can make the country better in every way, not just promising but converting it into reality.