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Voting and Elections Rights of SC/ST

Last updated on Jun 14, 2022

It is a crime to interfere with the voting rights of members of SCs or STs. If you do any of the following, you will be punished with imprisonment anywhere between 6 months and 5 years along with a fine:

  • Force them to vote in a certain way.
  • Stop them from standing for elections.
  • Stop them from proposing a candidate, or seconding the nomination of another SC/ST candidate.
  • Punish them for voting a certain way.

It is also a crime to interfere with the work of an SC/ST member who is a Panchayat member or holds office in a municipality. Force or intimidation cannot be used to prevent such a person from doing their work.

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