Days after Cong charges on voter data, poll panel says due process followed

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified on the misconceptions regarding mismatch of voter turnout data for the General and Assembly elections.

Recently, the Congress questioned the rise in voting percentage of the Haryana Assembly elections. In a detailed response, the ECI said while the Voter Turnout (VTR) app is merely a facilitative measure for updating voting trends at regular intervals on the polling day, Form 17C is the immutable and only statutory source of total votes polled at any polling station and made available to candidates before the polling booth is closed.

Manipulation not possible

• Following the Congress charges, the EC has said an increase in voter turnout from 5 pm to 11.45 pm was normal as it was a part of the process of aggregation of voter turnout
• It said it was impossible to change actual voter turnout as Form 17C giving details of voter turnout is available with authorised agents of candidates at the close of poll

“The VTR app displays voter turnout data on the basis of votes cast on EVM only, as postal ballots continue to be received till the time of commencement of counting,” said a press statement released by ECI. The commission said an increase in voter turnout from 5 pm to 11.45 pm was normal as it was a part of the process of aggregation of voter turnout, adding that there can be bona fide but inconsequential differences in votes polled and votes counted. The ECI categorically affirmed that it is impossible to change actual voter turnout as statutory Form 17C giving details of voter turnout is available with authorised agents of candidates at the time of close of poll at a polling station itself.

The ECI emphasised that the VTR data entered in the system between 5 pm to 5.30 pm is interim data of approximate voter turnout in the constituency or district or state. This 5 pm VTR data in a constituency is likely to increase significantly if voters came out to vote in large numbers in the late hours, as the electors in queue up to 5 pm or notified time of close of poll are allowed to cast their vote. These votes will only reflect in the VTR data when the polling parties arrive at the receiving centre and submit the machines and election papers.

“However, there are possibilities of errors at different stages related to non-statutory facilitative reporting of voter turnout data on VTR app.” The ECI has attributed the differences to complexity of processes, competencies of staff sourced from the different departments of the State/UT and possible human errors due to long and rigorous election duty.

The commission does not carry any statutory burden in relation to the veracity of this data, and the responsibility for usage of this data is clearly on the user, the ECI clarified.

Regarding discrepancies in the electoral roll preparation, the EC asserted that a meticulous, transparent and participative electoral roll-updation process was followed, involving all political parties and public at large. While detailing the well-laid-out mechanism with sufficient checks and balances, the EC emphasised that the watertight statutory scheme ensures that deletion and addition of voters is done strictly according to rules.

The commission reiterated that political parties, being key stakeholders, are involved scrupulously at each and every stage of the election process from roll to poll. The ECI said all data, as demanded by the parties, pertaining to electors for each constituency and Form 20 is available on CEO’s website and can be downloaded.