Ahmedabad: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has described India’s electoral system as one of the most transparent in the world, highlighting the multiple layers of verification carried out throughout the election process.
Kumar made the remarks while addressing an interaction with Booth Level Officers at Atal Kalam Hall of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad on Friday.
He said political parties, candidates and their authorised agents are involved in verification at different stages, beginning with electoral rolls and continuing through polling and counting.
Electoral rolls are regularly verified with the participation of political parties and their Booth Level Agents. Booth Level Officers are tasked with identifying cases involving absent, shifted, deceased, duplicate and foreign voters while ensuring that eligible citizens remain included in the rolls.
Kumar stressed that every eligible Indian citizen who has completed 18 years should have their name included in the electoral roll. He urged BLOs to regularly review voter lists in their respective areas and complete the required procedures for adding newly eligible voters.
He also explained the safeguards used during polling. Before voting begins, Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail units undergo mock polls in the presence of polling agents representing candidates. After voting concludes, EVM related procedures and documents are completed with the participation of candidates’ agents.
During counting, EVM figures are checked against the votes recorded in Form 17C in the presence of counting agents, providing another layer of verification.
Kumar said the Election Commission periodically conducts electoral roll revision exercises to maintain accuracy. BLOs visit voters’ homes and verify information through documentation, mapping and other procedures.
The CEC also attended the fifth regional conference on Electoral Literacy Clubs and ECINET in Ahmedabad, aimed at strengthening democratic awareness among young citizens.
More than 1,000 Electoral Literacy Club members, campus ambassadors, school and college officials, BLOs and other stakeholders participated in the programme. Kumar encouraged young people to use ECINET and assist eligible family members and others in registering as voters.
He also highlighted India’s current chairmanship of International IDEA, an organisation comprising 35 democracies, as a reflection of international recognition of India’s electoral system. He urged citizens to register as voters when eligible and fulfil their democratic responsibility by voting.
