CLASS 8 SOCIAL SCIENCE · CHAPTER 5 · STUDY NOTES

Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System

Understand universal franchise and india’s electoral system through short explanations, labelled models and original practice. Read one topic, explain it in your own words, then check.

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Your vote is not worth more because you are rich

Universal adult franchise gives eligible adult citizens an equal vote.

Equal voting value

Two imagined eligible voters have equal voting value despite differences in personal background.

Universal adult franchise: Voting rights for adult citizens without discrimination based on factors such as wealth, gender, caste, religion or education.

In India the voting age is 18. An eligible citizen must be registered on the electoral roll; legal eligibility and disqualifications also apply.

India adopted adult franchise from the outset of its constitutional democracy. Lack of literacy was not made a condition for exclusion.

Take a moment. What do you think?

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Question

Should a wealthy voter receive five votes while a poorer voter receives one? Why?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 1, 2, 3, 4.

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Voters choose a representative for an area

A constituency groups voters for electing a representative.

A direct election

This describes a direct representative election, not an election of the Prime Minister by a nationwide personal ballot.

Constituency: An area whose voters elect a representative to a legislative body.
MP and MLA: An MP serves in Parliament; an MLA serves in a state Legislative Assembly.

Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections are direct elections: eligible voters choose their representative. An MP and MLA work at different levels of government.

Some constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe candidates. All eligible voters in a reserved constituency vote; the candidate eligibility is reserved.

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Question

Can a voter who is not from the reserved community vote in a reserved constituency?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 3, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17.

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An equal right needs an accessible process

Distance, disability and other barriers can stop people using their right.

Remove barriers

Different barriers require different support. Assistance must preserve voter choice and secrecy.

Picture from the NCERT book

Book photograph: assistance helps a voter access the polling process. Assistance supports access; it must not take over the voter’s own choice.Source: NCERT Class VIII Social Science · Chapter 5 · chapter PDF page 6.

Accessibility: Designing a process so people with different needs can use it.

Polling arrangements, ramps, assistance and authorised postal or home-voting facilities help eligible voters participate. Conditions differ by category and election; not everyone can simply choose any voting method.

Voter turnout measures participation. Low turnout can have several causes, so ask people about barriers before assuming they do not care.

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Question

Why can a ramp be part of democratic equality?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 5, 6, 7.

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Choose freely; keep the choice private

A fair election needs clear rules, access, privacy and an honest count.

A transparent count

Candidate totals: 8 + 12 + 10 = 30 valid candidate votes.

Equal-width bars use the same scale: one vote is 4 coordinate units. One invalid ballot is excluded from candidate totals.

Secret ballot: A voting process that keeps an individual voter’s choice private.

In an original classroom example, 31 ballots are cast: A gets 8, B gets 12, C gets 10, and one ballot is invalid. The valid candidate votes add up to 30; including the invalid ballot gives 31.

A teacher can explain rules and arrange an accessible ballot. A witness at counting supports transparency without revealing who cast each vote.

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Question

Why can counting be public while each voter’s choice stays secret?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 7, 8, 9.

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Most votes wins a constituency; it need not mean over half

First-past-the-post selects the candidate with more votes than every other candidate.

Do not confuse these tests

First-past-the-post uses the first test to select a constituency winner. Government support in the House is a separate question.

First-past-the-post: A system in which the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins.
NOTA: “None of the Above”: an option to record that the voter chooses none of the listed candidates.

In the classroom example, B’s 12 votes exceed A’s 8 and C’s 10, even though 12 is less than half of 30. Highest count and absolute majority are different ideas.

In Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, NOTA does not automatically cancel the poll or force a fresh election. The candidate with the highest candidate vote count can still win.

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Question

With candidate totals 15, 13 and 12, does the first candidate need 21 votes to win under first-past-the-post?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 9, 16, 17.

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Different election bodies have different responsibilities

The ECI is an independent constitutional body; State Election Commissions have their own constitutional role.

Keep the bodies distinct

Two separate constitutional responsibilities. A state Assembly election and a municipal election are not managed by the same body merely because both occur in a state.

Election Commission of India (ECI): The constitutional body overseeing elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the President and Vice-President.
State Election Commission (SEC): A constitutional body responsible for local-body elections such as Panchayats and Municipalities.

A State Election Commission is not simply a state branch of the ECI. An ECI Chief Electoral Officer in a state has a different role from the SEC.

Election officials organise rolls, candidates, polling and counting. Returning Officers manage particular elections; Electoral Registration Officers handle voter lists.

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Question

Which body’s role is relevant to a municipal election: ECI or the State Election Commission?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 10, 11, 12, 17, 18.

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Identity checks and a private choice have different purposes

Polling staff check eligibility before the voter casts a private vote.

Check → private vote → verify

A simplified polling sequence. It omits administrative details and does not reveal a person’s vote.

EVM: Electronic Voting Machine used to record votes.
VVPAT: Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, which displays a paper record for checking the selected candidate.

At a normal polling station, officials check the electoral roll and identity, complete required records and apply ink. The voter then makes the choice privately on the ballot unit.

VVPAT shows a slip so the voter can check the selection; the slip remains in the system and is not a take-home receipt. Follow current official polling instructions.

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Question

Does an identity check give an official the right to choose a candidate for the voter?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 13, 14.

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A fair contest needs limits on misuse of power

Campaign rules help protect free choice and equal competition.

Protect a fair choice

These are civic principles and simplified examples. Exact complaint and enforcement procedures follow current ECI rules.

Model Code of Conduct: ECI guidelines for political parties and candidates during elections.

Official resources should not be misused for party campaigns. Gifts for votes, intimidation and inflammatory appeals undermine a fair choice; some conduct also violates election law.

Candidates should explain policies and be accountable. Voters can compare credible information instead of accepting gifts or repeating an unverified viral claim.

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Question

Why is using public officials to campaign for one party unfair?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 14, 15, 16.

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A seat result and a government are different stages

Voters elect representatives; support among representatives determines government formation.

An indirect route to the Council of States

This shows the state-elected route, not nominated members or every Union Territory arrangement.

Coalition: Two or more parties working together.
Indirect election: An election in which a specified group of representatives elects someone, rather than all citizens voting directly for that office.

A Prime Minister must command Lok Sabha support; a Chief Minister must command Assembly support. Citizens do not directly elect these offices through a separate nationwide or statewide personal vote.

Rajya Sabha representatives from states are elected by elected MLAs using proportional representation by single transferable vote. Some members are nominated, and Union Territory representation follows its provisions. The Rajya Sabha is not dissolved; members have staggered terms.

Let’s look a little closer.

Go deeper: Preferences and proportional representation

Single transferable vote uses ranked preferences and a prescribed counting process. It is different from simply declaring the candidate with the most first-choice votes the winner. State seat allocations are a separate constitutional arrangement.

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Question

How does electing an MP differ from voting directly for a Prime Minister?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 17, 18, 19.

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The two electoral colleges are not identical

The President and Vice-President are elected indirectly, with different eligible electors.

Compare who votes

The first side excludes nominated MPs. The second includes elected and nominated MPs of both Houses.

Electoral college: The specified group entitled to vote in a particular election.

For the President, electors are elected MPs from both Houses and elected MLAs from states plus Delhi and Puducherry. Nominated members and Legislative Council members are excluded. Elected Rajya Sabha MPs are included even though they are indirectly elected.

For the Vice-President, elected and nominated members of both Houses of Parliament vote; MLAs do not. Both elections use ranked preferences under the prescribed system.

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Question

Can a nominated Rajya Sabha member vote in the Vice-Presidential election but not the Presidential election?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 20, 21.

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Participation continues after an election

Democracy needs information, access and accountability, not only polling day.

A responsible information habit

A repeatable civic habit. No political party or candidate is promoted by this example.

Civic participation: Taking part responsibly in public life and collective decisions.

Money power, intimidation, misinformation and barriers to access can weaken elections. A criminal accusation is not the same as a conviction; compare reliable records carefully.

Check sources, discuss issues respectfully, ask representatives questions and recognise different views. As a student, you can practise this in a fair class election.

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Question

What should you do before sharing a dramatic election claim online?

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NCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 21, 22.

Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System Class 8 Notes

Chapter notes

Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System

Your vote is not worth more because you are rich

Equal voting value

Voters choose a representative for an area

A direct election

An equal right needs an accessible process

Remove barriers

Choose freely; keep the choice private

A transparent count

Most votes wins a constituency; it need not mean over half

Do not confuse these tests

Different election bodies have different responsibilities

Keep the bodies distinct

Identity checks and a private choice have different purposes

Check → private vote → verify

A fair contest needs limits on misuse of power

Protect a fair choice

A seat result and a government are different stages

An indirect route to the Council of States

The two electoral colleges are not identical

Compare who votes

Participation continues after an election

A responsible information habit

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