The Election Commission of India (ECI) introduced several important reforms during bye-elections in five Assembly Constituencies (ACs) held recently.
The innovations aimed at making polling more efficient, transparent, and accessible to all voters. Polling took place in:
Polling was conducted across 1,354 stations, marking a significant operational milestone for the ECI.
For the first time, voters were allowed to deposit their mobile phones at polling stations before entering. This move recognised the unique challenges faced by:
Volunteers helped manage phone deposit counters set up outside booths using simple storage units like pigeonhole boxes. This allowed voters to participate without carrying phones inside, ensuring adherence to ECI norms.
Another major reform was the upgraded Voter Turnout Reporting (VTR) system. Previously, turnout data was collected manually and uploaded late in the evening. Now, Presiding Officers directly entered turnout data every two hours using the ECINET app. This change:
At the end of polling, final data was uploaded immediately, avoiding the 10-11 PM lag that used to occur with physical records and manual reporting.
In areas with weak internet connectivity, offline entries were synced after the connection was restored.
The ECI also ensured 100% live webcasting from polling stations across all five ACs, except one. The objective was to:
Monitoring teams at the Returning Officer (RO), District Election Officer (DEO), and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) levels supervised proceedings throughout polling day.
These successful innovations are part of the ECI's broader vision for polling reform in 2025, declared as the "Year of Reforms" by the Defence Ministry. They are expected to be scaled up in future elections, including the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections.
The reforms not only simplify polling but also support ease of doing business in elections, encourage technological integration, and improve procedural clarity for all stakeholders.