委托投票的适用困局及其破解

The Application Dilemma and Theoretical Reflection of Proxy Voting

委托投票在我国有着严格的适用条件,它是指选民因短暂外出而无法在选举期间亲自投票,委托其他选民代为投票的一种投票方式。其中的“委托”有其特定含义,不宜作扩大解释。但因委托投票在1983年后被允许适用于流动人口,其适用陷入一种困局之中:要规范委托投票行为,就会给流动人口选民行使选举权带来不便,甚至成为一种阻碍;而要充分保障流动人口选民行使选举权,就必须容忍委托投票行为在适用中出现的一些“瑕疵”。为打破这种困局,有必要在坚持委托投票合理性并规范其实施的前提下,对流动人口适用委托投票的限度作出反思。委托投票仅适用于那些虽然离乡但依然心系家乡建设、有真实选举意愿的选民;而对于那些与流出地联系较少且无参选意愿的选民,选举机构则应在查明原因的基础上尊重其自由选择,允许这部分选民不参加选举或投票。

The proxy voting method has strict applicable conditions in China.It refers to a voting method in which voters are unable to vote in person during the election due to short-term absence,and entrust other voters to vote on their behalf.The“entrusted”has its specific meaning,and it is not suitable for expanded interpretation.However,because the proxy voting method was allowed to apply to the floating population after 1983,its application fell into a dilemma:to regulate the proxy voting behavior would cause inconvenience to the voting rights of the floating population voters,and even become a hindrance;to fully protect the voting rights of floating population voters,it is necessary to tolerate some“defects”in the application of proxy voting.In order to break this predicament,it is necessary to reflect on the limits of the application of proxy voting to the floating population on the premise of insisting on the rationality of the proxy voting method and standardizing its implementation.The proxy voting method is only suitable for those voters who are still concerned about the construction of their hometowns and have a real intention to vote although they are away from their hometowns;and for those voters who have less contact with the place of origin and have no willingness to participate in the election,the election agency should investigate the reasons,respect their free choices,and allow these voters not to participate in voting.