CHANDIGARH: Two dozen voters in a Punjab village did not cast their votes for any candidate Thursday. They visited polling booths and expressed their disapproval by exercising their right not to vote, election officials said.

All these voters belonged to Duhi village near Nabha town, around 50 km from here, in Patiala constituency that saw an estimated 65 percent turnout.

“Twenty-four voters of the same village near Nabha have utilised their right of not to vote through Section 49-0,” said Kusumjit Sidhu, chief electoral officer of Punjab.

According to the provision 49-O in the Conduct of Elections Act, 1969, on election day a voter can go to the polling booth and after confirming his/her identity and getting a finger marked, he/she needs to tell the presiding election officer about the wish not to vote.

A poll official in Nabha town said: “These voters came to the polling booth to register their names and then went without voting for anyone. They did this so that nobody misuses their vote and also to prevent election fraud.”