Dr. V. Ramaraj, the pioneer of Voterology, has notably articulated “The Ten Doctrines on Voterology” in 2020. He has structured the theories regarding Votes, Voters, and Elections, three dimensions of democratic institutions, which characterized Voterology and Voterologism; this will impact governance and global peace. From his original speech of ten principles of Voterology, brief notes are as follows:

01 Doctrine of supreme power

The vote is the supreme power in a democracy, and it alone determines the nature of a democratic government and global political trends. In the democratic era, Voterology, the exclusive study of votes, voters, and elections, pillars of democracy, should be recognized as a distinct academic field and included in the curricula of schools, colleges, and universities to ensure the success of democracy. 

02 Doctrine of Three Equal Dimensions of Democracy

Votes, Voters, and Elections are considered three equal and essential dimensions of democracy with unique efficiency, stability, and structure like a cube. Vote, voter, and elections are three equal dimensions of democratic institutions, and these values are required to determine the standard of a democratic institution. Voter’s ignorance, corruption, and authoritarianism are forces that pose a threat to the three dimensions of democratic institutions. 

03 Doctrine of vote politics

Governments formed by individuals or a political party who seize power through voter ignorance or corruption, without a policy or action plan will fail to establish a government focused on public welfare. When bribery and corruption enter the electoral process, the resulting government will not be established for the welfare of the people and democratic institutions may turn into dictatorial ones. Governments formed by individuals or a political party who seize power by presenting an ideologically with action plan, will promote true democracy at all platforms. 

04 Modern Doctrine of Separation of Powers

The theory of separation of powers divides governmental authority into three distinct branches as Legislative, Executive and Judiciary. Many democratic countries have offered constitutional status to the Electoral Management Bodies, which in India is called the Election Commission of India.  Since the principle of separation of powers originated during a period when monarchies were prevalent throughout the world, election management bodies were not recognized as a separate branch of government authority similar to the legislature, executive, and judiciary. Voterology urges that Electoral Management Bodies ought to be made as a fourth branch of the government authority with a constitutional status equal to Legislature, Executive, and judiciary and theory of separation of powers has to be among these four branches of the government.

05 Doctrine of Election Management Bodies 

Preparing, maintaining and revising of voters list, conducting elections, regulating political parties, educating and empowering voters, solving election disputes and designing and periodically reviewing the concepts of vote, voting pattern, election system, election laws, are the important areas of Electoral Management Bodies. Concentrating all these functions and powers in one place will lead to abuse of power and autocracy. In terms of electoral management bodies, firstly, there should be an election commission to prepare, maintain and revise voters list periodically and conduct free and fair elections, secondly, regulatory commission for political parties to register, maintain, monitor and maintain the standards of political parties, thirdly, a commission for the protection of voters’ rights at the national and state levels to educate voters, protect voters’ rights, and strengthen voter empowerment, fourthly, special state level tribunals and national level appellate tribunals of election disputes that resolve all issues, including appeals, in election-related cases within six months under the control of apex court and fifthly, National Institute of Voterology and Research for studying and periodically researching the concepts of vote, voting pattern, election system, election laws. 

06 Doctrine of International Electoral Law

The United Nations has established international legal frameworks and institutions aimed at protecting human rights and children’s rights, and combating corruption. Similarly, the United Nations should strengthen the necessary international legal frameworks and institutions for conducting free and fair elections, protection and empowerment of voters’ rights, regulating political parties to uphold standards, and speedy disposal of election disputes promptly. Voterology stresses the importance international and national institutions and legal international instruments to play a crucial role in enhancing National Electoral Management Bodies and building informed voters. Periodically, reviewing election systems across different countries and conducting comparative studies of these systems should occur within the framework of international law. 

07 Doctrine of Empowerment of Voters

Before the election, people can be divided into two classes namely those who use their right to vote to elect rulers and those who want to seize power. After the election, people can be divided into three classes namely those who voted, those who seized power and those who failed to get the power. Before the election, those who want to seize power struggle to get votes from the voters. After the election, those who voted fight to uphold their rights with the rulers. This kind of class struggle has emerging everywhere. Those who seized power and those who failed to get the power should uphold the principles of empowering voters by protection of voter’s rights, building the knowledge for the voters, the equitable distribution of wealth, power, and resources among the citizens and teach the people about their political, social, economic, civil, cultural and legal rights. 

Voters will gain true empowerment by eliminating voter ignorance, preventing the securing of votes through monetary inducements, and avoiding corrupt practices during the electoral process. Voters should exercise their franchise based on national interest rather than factors such as caste, religion, language, or regional beliefs. If corruption originates from the basic elements of democracy (votes, voters, and elections), a government free of corruption cannot be expected. Therefore, citizens must take an active role in ensuring integrity at this level. Voters have shared responsibility in eradicating ignorance and corruption in relating with vote, voters and elections.

08 Doctrine of the Destination of Voterology

Local, national, and international politics, the governance structure of the country, and global peace rely on the “Vote”. Vote solely determines the character of democratic governance and global political directions. Sound governance and global peace are mere illusions if voters lack awareness of the importance of their vote and their participation in elections. Reading and researching of Voterology   leads to true democracy, good governance, and peace. Democracy serves as a vital force for establishing good governance and peace globally, whereas Voterology is road for the democracy. It is natural for everyone who accepts the principle that good governance and world peace can be achieved through electoral democracy to also accept the philosophy of Voterology.

09 Doctrine of redesigning

Since the emergence of political science in the 1900s, the study and research of votes, voters, and elections (Voterology) have been a subfield of political science. At the time political science emerged, monarchies were prevalent. However, with democratic nations now widespread across the globe, Voterology has gained immense importance and should henceforth be considered a distinct discipline. Political science and Voterology are “both sides of a coin”. Political science is like pure science, while Voterology is like applied science.

Psephology, a sub-field of political science, focuses on understanding how and why people vote as they do, how electoral systems operate, and how election results can be interpreted and predicted.  Voterology is broad field that examines all aspects of votes, voters, and the election process. Voterology gives rise to Voterolgism, an ideology or movement founded on the tenets of Voterology. Electoral studies, Psephology, and Voterology are interconnected concepts, but Voterology differs with Electoral studies, Psephology by the context and fundamental theories. Electoral studies and psephology, the subfield of political science, ought to be subfields of Voterology.

10 Voterologism 

Voterologism is the philosophy or ideology based on the principles of Voterology. The central idea of voterologism is ‘voters above all else’. “ Voterologism ” is an evolving ideology that regulates the conflicts between voters and rulers, paving the way for good governance and forming the foundation for a people-centric democracy. The work of voterologism is to spread the doctrines of Voterology to the public, stressing the collective responsibility of citizens to eradicate ignorance, corruption and authoritarianism in the area of vote, voter and elections and safeguard democracy.