EC to showcase all-in-one app to state panels, with offer to develop versions, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission (EC) will showcase its ECINET app to State Election Commissions (SECs) this month and offer to develop versions for them.
• A national conference of State Election Commissioners is scheduled for February 24 in the Capital, the first such conference since 1999.
• The ECINET app consolidates separate apps for voters, officers, and candidates into one platform, providing services like electoral registration and real-time voter turnout data.
• The app was officially launched on January 22 by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and was used to digitize 150 crore documents during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Detailed Insights:

• The ECINET app allows users to fill electoral registration forms, officers to process applications, and provides real-time data on voter turnout and results.
• The beta version of ECINET was launched ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Assembly elections in Bihar last year.
• During the SIR in 12 States/UTs, centrally generated notices were sent to electoral registration officers (EROs) via the ECINET/ERONET portal for electors.
• The EC conducts elections for President, Vice-President, Parliament, State Assemblies, and State Legislative Councils, while SECs handle panchayat and municipal corporation elections.
• Two Bills providing for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies are pending before Parliament, following recommendations from a committee led by Ram Nath Kovind in 2024.
• The government's Bills in December 2024 did not include provisions for local body elections in the simultaneous polls.

Key Concepts Involved:

• ECINET: An all-in-one app by the Election Commission consolidating services for voters, officers, and candidates.
• State Election Commissions (SECs): Independent bodies responsible for conducting local body elections like panchayats and municipal corporations.
• Simultaneous Elections: Holding elections for multiple levels of government (e.g., Lok Sabha and State Assemblies) at the same time.