EC Relents, to Hear Pleas to Upload Booth-Wise Turnout, Pg1

Key Highlights

Supreme Court’s Direction to EC

• SC asked the Election Commission (EC) to hear petitioners' demand for uploading booth-wise voter turnout data after each phase of polling.
• Bench headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna directed EC to meet MP Mahua Moitra and ADR representatives within 10 days to resolve concerns.

Petitioners’ Arguments

• Delayed voter turnout data raises suspicions about manipulation.
• Discrepancy between booth-level votes & aggregated turnout published later.
• Fears of EVM manipulation due to sharp spikes in voter turnout post-polling.

EC’s Earlier Stand (May 2024 Affidavit)

• No legal mandate to provide turnout data to anyone except polling agents.
• Form 17C (record of votes cast) shared only with candidates & polling agents.
• EC publishes turnout via press releases & an app, avoiding detailed booth-level data.

EC Moves to Link Voter ID with Aadhaar

• EC initiated steps to link Aadhaar with EPIC (Voter ID) for better authentication.
• Technical consultations with UIDAI to begin soon.
• Move is seen as an attempt to enhance electoral integrity & curb fraud.

Analysis & Way Forward

• Transparency in electoral data is crucial for democratic credibility.
• Concerns over delayed voter data must be addressed through real-time publication mechanisms.
• EC should balance secrecy of voting with public trust by ensuring timely & authenticated release of voter turnout data.
• The Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage, while beneficial, must ensure privacy safeguards and avoid voter disenfranchisement.

Mains Mock Question:

"Discuss the importance of electoral transparency in ensuring free and fair elections. How can the Election Commission improve voter turnout data reporting while maintaining secrecy of the ballot?"