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ECI's New Transparency Move: Why Booth-Level Lists Are Changing Elections

The Election Commission is taking a big step to make voter lists more accurate. They're telling states to share specific lists of hard-to-find voters with political party representatives. This lets everyone check the lists together before they're finalized. It's all about making sure every eligible person gets a fair chance to vote.

Key Points: ECI Directs States to Share Booth-Wise ASD Lists with Party Agents

  • ECI instructs CEOs in 12 states to share ASD lists with party agents before draft rolls
  • Lists contain names of voters unreachable after multiple BLO visits
  • Nearly 5 lakh BLOs will conduct meetings with over 12 lakh party agents
  • Collaborative verification aims to ensure no eligible voter is wrongly excluded
2 min read

ECI directs states to share booth-wise ASD lists with party agents ahead of draft rolls

ECI mandates sharing of Absent, Shifted, or Dead elector lists with political party agents before draft roll publication to enhance electoral transparency.

"This is to ascertain the exact status of each such elector on the ASD list, so that any error can be rectified before the publication of the draft Electoral Rolls itself. - Election Commission of India"

New Delhi, Dec 10

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all 12 states and Union Territories currently undergoing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to ensure that Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties receive booth-wise lists of electors categorised as Absent, Shifted or Dead/Duplicate (ASD).

The move mirrors the practice adopted during the Bihar SIR and aims to enhance transparency and accuracy in the electoral roll revision process.

According to the Commission, the ASD lists comprise names of electors who could not be contacted even after three or more visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

The ECI has directed that these lists be shared with BLAs nominated by district presidents of political parties before the publication of the draft electoral rolls.

As part of the exercise, nearly 5 lakh BLOs across the 12 SIR-ongoing states and UTs will conduct booth-wise meetings with over 12 lakh BLAs.

During these interactions, BLOs will physically hand over ASD lists and seek feedback to ascertain the correct status of each elector. The Commission said this collaborative verification is crucial to rectifying any errors before the draft electoral rolls are issued.

“This is to ascertain the exact status of each such elector on the ASD list, so that any error can be rectified before the publication of the draft Electoral Rolls itself. This step is in line with the ECI’s commitment that no eligible elector is left out,” the ECI said in its press note.

The ECI emphasised that the measure upholds its commitment to ensuring that no eligible elector is excluded from the rolls. By involving political parties at the booth level, the Commission aims to create a more robust mechanism for cross-verification and error detection.

“Upon publication of the draft Electoral Roll, and as was done during the Bihar SIR also, booth-wise/assembly-wise/district-wise ASD lists in all 12 SIR ongoing States/UTs will be made available on the websites of the respective DEOs/DMs (district-wise) as well as on the CEO website, and this will also be available in an EPIC-searchable mode,” it said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Finally! This should have been done long ago. My father's name was marked as 'dead' in the last revision, and it took us months and multiple visits to the ERO office to get it corrected. If party agents had been involved earlier, such mistakes could have been caught quickly. Hope this works on the ground.
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Aman W
While the intent is good, I'm a bit skeptical. Will the political parties use this information fairly, or will they try to manipulate the lists to their advantage? The process needs strong oversight to prevent misuse. The ECI must ensure the BLOs are not pressured.
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Sarah B
As someone who recently moved cities, I appreciate this. Making the lists EPIC-searchable online is a great move. It was so difficult to track my voter registration status when I shifted from Bangalore to Pune. This will help migrant workers and students a lot.
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Vikram M
Good initiative. But what about the actual implementation? 5 lakh BLOs meeting 12 lakh agents sounds like a massive logistical task. Hope they are properly trained and have clear guidelines. Otherwise, it will just be another paperwork exercise that doesn't reach the common voter.
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Kavya N
This is the right way to do it - involving all stakeholders. In a democracy, political parties are key players. If they help clean the rolls at the booth level, it builds trust in the entire electoral process. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳

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