Karnataka elections: Just 10 NRI voters from the state, all from one place

Almost 5 crore voters will cast their vote today in what may be one of the most closely watched elections across India in the recent past. Interestingly just 10 NRI voters are registered to vote this year.

10 people from Kundapur in Udupi district have registered as Non-Resident Indian voters for the Karnataka Assembly election.They have filed their details under Form-6A meant for NRIs. These NRIs, residing in Gulf countries, will cast their votes in the Kundapur constituency.

However, Election Commission officials say that this does not mean that only 10 NRIs are voting. "There are 14 lakh NRIs residing in the world but these 10 have identified themselves as NRIs and enrolled again," an official told Deccan Herald.

Also, NOTA or None of the Above makes its debut in the Karnataka assembly elections today. The state had for the first time witnessed NOTA in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but it is a first in the assembly segment.

According to the Election Commission, more than 56000 voting booths have been set up across the state in order to cater to 4.96 crore general electors. Out of this total, there are 2.51 crore male voters and 2.44 crore women voters.

This year, 27,908 service voters will also be casting their votes through postal ballots. These include 27,461 male voters and 447 female voters. The results of the elections will be declared on the 15th of May.