The Election Commission of India (EC) has sent out an official notice for the election of India’s Vice President, which will take place on September 9. This declaration, which was issued on Thursday, officially starts the process of choosing a new person to fill the position that Jagdeep Dhankhar left up when he resigned on July 21 because of health issues.
A Look at the Constitutional Requirement and Important Dates
The Constitution’s Article 68, Clause (2), says that an election must be held as soon as practicable to replace a vacancy in the Vice President’s position. The official notice tells the electoral college to choose a new Vice President in accordance with the Constitution and the regulations governing elections. The new Vice President will fulfill a full five-year term, even though Dhankhar’s previous term only has two years left.
These are the important dates for the next election:
The last day to file nominations is Thursday, August 21, 2025. You must give your nomination papers to the Returning Officer at the Parliament House in New Delhi between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. You also need to pay a security deposit of ₹15,000.
On Friday, August 22, 2025, at 11 a.m., there will be a review of nomination papers in a specific chamber at Parliament House.
August 25, 2025 (Monday): Candidates must withdraw their candidacies by this day.
If necessary, voting will take place at Parliament House on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Who chooses the Vice President and what are the rules?
The electoral college, which is made up of all the members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, chooses the Vice President. There is one empty seat in the Lok Sabha (Basirhat, West Bengal) and five empty seats in the Rajya Sabha (four from Jammu & Kashmir and one from Punjab). This could change the total number of votes.
Voting is done by secret ballot and is based on a system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote. Political parties are not allowed to give their members a whip or any other binding orders for this election, which is different from other parliamentary votes.
To be able to run for the job, a person must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, and able to join the Rajya Sabha. A candidate also can’t hold any “office of profit” in the central or state government or any local government.