From KYC to Reporting Poll Code Violations, ECI Apps Voters Can Use for Free & Fair Assembly Elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced new technological measures for voters, including steps against electoral malpractices, in a bid to ensure participation and transparency for the upcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The Himachal Pradesh assembly election will be held in a single phase on November 12 and the counting of votes will be held on December 8. The Commission did not announce the elections for the Gujarat assembly.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said, “technology will be helpful to ensure everyone’s participation and transparency.” Citizens can alert ECI regarding information related to electoral malpractices via the cVIGIL app. Each of these “reactions” will be responded to within 100 minutes.

Kumar further said ECI works with three broad objectives: conduct free, fair, inclusive, accessible and inducement-free elections; hassle-Free and comfortable voting experience and maximum voter participation. He also said the election commission aims to maximise voter participation, especially of young, urban, women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and transgender voters.

What is cVIGIL App?

The Election Commission described the cVIGIL App as a single app for recording, reporting and resolving poll-code violations. “Voters can upload a picture or a video of money, liquor or any other freebies being distributed on the app. The user’s GIS location will be captured on its own and an election officer will be responding to the report within 100 minutes”, the official statement said.

For availing information regarding the voting process, a designated helpline app will also provide details regarding viewing names on the electoral roll, polling booth, contact to BLO/ERO, checking of election results and information on the use of EVM.

What is Know Your Candidate (KYC) App?

The chief electoral body has also introduced a new feature for voters ahead of the elections called the Know Your Candidate (KYC) App. The application allows voters to avail information on candidates with criminal antecedents, enabling them to make the right choice. The information will also be available on the ECI portal.

The ECI has mandated political parties and candidates having a criminal record to get their cases published in local media and national newspaper to make voters aware. It is also mandatory for the parties to upload detailed information on their websites or social media platforms.

Social Media Vigilance to Check Fake News

Social media teams have also been established to ensure strict vigil. “We have established social media teams to keep a strict vigil on fake news being spread during elections,” the CEC said.

Kumar said keeping in view of increasing incidents of “misuse of social media”, social media platforms agreed to observe Voluntary Code of Ethics formulated by them in March, 2019.

“Social media would be monitored. They (teams) all have been directed to respond immediately before its gets the traction… It becomes explosive. And if 30 minutes have gone then there is no point in answering this because damage is done. They have all been asked to be very very vigilant and respond with facts,” he said.

He further said teams have been instructed to respond immediately. “If they can’t respond with facts in 15-20 minutes then reply by saying we have seen this we are finding facts and we will come back. So that they join that thing immediately and they break that cycle, before it goes out of hands,” Kumar added.

The Election Commissioner cited criminal action possibilities which originate out of various legislative frameworks under the IPC and under the various acts and said ECI will not hesitate in taking those actions. “We have made it clear to everybody and we will enforce this,” he affirmed.

Kumar said the commission also requests all political parties and candidates to ensure that their supporters “do not indulge in hate speeches and fake news” and urged them to keep a strict watch on social media posts to ensure that the election atmosphere is not vitiated.

The Commission has also directed coordinated action amongst enforcement agencies for inducement-free elections. “Identification of expenditure-sensitive constituencies for strict vigil will also be conducted,” it said. State police, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate (ED), GST department, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, State Excise Dept, Railway Protection Force, Airport Authority of India, Postal Department, Reserve Bank of India and CISF have been given directions.

The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on February 18 next year while that of Himachal Pradesh will end on January 8, 2023.

The election commission said there are 1.86 lakh first-time voters, 1.22 lakh aged 80-plus and 1,184 voters above 100 years of age. “For the forthcoming assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, our teams will be ready to serve more than 55 Lakh electors of which of which 67,000 are service voters, 56,000 are persons with disabilities (PWDs),” CEC Kumar said.

In Himachal Pradesh’s 68-member assembly election in 2017, the BJP won a clear majority by winning 44 seats. The Congress won 21 seats, Independents bagged two seats and the CPI(M) emerged victorious on one seat.

In percentage terms, the BJP won 48.79 per cent of the total valid votes, followed by the Congress (41.68 per cent) and Independents (6.34 per cent).

Read all the Latest Politics News and Breaking News here