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What is NOTA?

NOTA means "None of the Above" – the EVM option that lets a voter reject all candidates while still casting a vote.

In short: NOTA is the last button on the EVM in India. A voter who presses it records that they do not support any candidate. NOTA votes are counted and reported, but they do not decide the winner – the candidate with the most votes still wins, even if NOTA polls more.
2013Introduced after a Supreme Court order
~1%Share of votes NOTA gets nationally (Lok Sabha, approx.)
2,18,674NOTA votes in Indore, Lok Sabha 2024
0Seats NOTA can "win"

How NOTA works

At the polling booth

  1. The voter goes to the EVM, which lists candidates with names, symbols and photos.
  2. NOTA appears as the last option, with its own symbol (a ballot paper with a black cross).
  3. Pressing NOTA records a vote against all candidates; the vote stays secret.
  4. At counting, NOTA votes are tallied and shown in the results for every constituency.

Timeline

How NOTA came to India

2013
Supreme Court (PUCL case) directs the Election Commission to provide a "none of the above" option.
Dec 2013
NOTA first used in state elections, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram.
2014
First Lok Sabha election with NOTA.
2018
Supreme Court says NOTA does not apply to Rajya Sabha elections.

What if NOTA gets the most votes?

Try it – enter votes for a made-up constituency

Myths and facts

Myth: If NOTA gets the most votes, the election is cancelled.
Fact: No. The candidate with the highest votes among real candidates wins (as in the simulator above).

Myth: NOTA is a candidate.
Fact: It is not a candidate, so margin of victory is calculated against the runner-up candidate, not NOTA. In Indore 2024, NOTA polled 2,18,674 votes, more than any losing candidate, yet the margin is counted against the BSP runner-up.

Myth: NOTA votes are wasted or not recorded.
Fact: They are counted and published in the official results; the number shows voter dissatisfaction.

Myth: NOTA never has effect.
Fact: For national and state polls it has no legal effect on the result. Some state election commissions (Maharashtra and Haryana, 2018) have ruled that for local-body polls a NOTA win triggers a fresh election.

Sample data from public ECI results, entered from memory and marked "~" where approximate. Verify against the Election Commission of India before relying on any figure. Items marked "import pending" will be filled from the full database.

Frequently asked questions

What does NOTA stand for?

None Of The Above.

Since when is NOTA available in India?

Since the Supreme Court order of 2013; it was first used in the December 2013 state elections.

Does pressing NOTA reveal my identity?

No. Voting remains secret, just like voting for any candidate.

Which seat had the highest NOTA votes in Lok Sabha 2024?

Indore, with 2,18,674 NOTA votes. See the Biggest win margins page for the Indore result.

Related pages

Highest NOTA votesBiggest win marginsHow votes are countedMajority mark