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In the remote Indian village of Banej, the only human resident, Guru Baharatdas Darshandas, consistently votes in every election. Workers set up a voting booth for him at the local temple, where he is the keeper. Despite not knowing the candidates, Darshandas believes his vote makes a difference. Compulsory voting is practiced in Australia, while some countries offer the option to vote for “none of these candidates.”
Getting voters to the polls is often a problem in many countries, but there is at least one place in India that consistently boasts 100% turnout. The village is known as Banej, and while many Asiatic lions call this area deep in the remote Gir forest, only one human does. His name is Guru Baharatdas Darshandas, and as the 68-year-old keeper of the local temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, he lives alone, but he is not alone. In addition to the busloads of worshipers who regularly visit the temple, Darshandas is greeted at every election by workers who are obligated to set up a voting booth for his use. By law, everyone in India must have a voting place no more than 2km (1.2 miles) from home, so workers spend several days converting the local forest building into a place where Darshandas can vote. And he doesn’t disappoint, obediently voting whenever given a chance in the more than 20 years he’s lived there. Darshandas told the BBC that although he often doesn’t even know who the candidates are – and no one has ever come to call him – he believes his vote makes a difference.
Worldwide ballot:
While the US and UK don’t follow suit, most of the world holds elections on a Sunday.
Australia guarantees turnout in elections by making it compulsory for everyone over 18 to vote in federal elections.
Some countries, including Greece, Colombia and Ukraine, offer voters the option to check a box marked ‘None of these candidates’.
