ec-on-station-wise-voter-turnout-data

The Election Commission on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that “indiscriminate disclosure” of polling station-wise voter turnout data and posting it on website will cause chaos in the election machinery which is already in motion for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

 

EC on station-wise voter turnout data

 and could lead to mischief and vitiation of the entire electoral space as it increases the possibility of the images being morphed.

 

The EC also dismissed as false and misleading the allegation that the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections saw an increase of “5-6 per cent” in the voter turnout data released on the day of polling and in the subsequent press releases for each of the two phases.

 

The Election Commission stated this in an affidavit filed in response to a plea of an NGO seeking a direction to the poll panel to upload polling station-wise voter turnout data on its website within 48 hours of the conclusion of polling for each phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

 

“It is submitted that if the reliefs sought by the petitioner is allowed, it will not only be in teeth of the aforesaid legal position but will also cause chaos in the election machinery which is already in motion for the ongoing General Elections to the Lok Sabha, 2024,” the poll panel said in its 225-page affidavit.

 

It said the petitioner NGO ‘Association of Democratic Reforms’ has failed to mention a single instance where candidates or voters had filed an election petition on the basis of the allegations raised by the petitioner with respect to the Lok Sabha election in 2019.

The poll panel added that “indiscriminate disclosure” and public posting on the website increases the possibility of the images being morphed, including the counting results which then can create widespread public discomfort and mistrust in the entire electoral process.

 

“In this regard, it is submitted that the aforesaid allegation is misleading and is unsubstantiated.” It added that the Rules do not permit the giving of a copy of Form 17C to any other entity.

 

“The voter turnout data for the first two phases of the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections published by ECI on April 30 has been published after 11 days of the first phase of polling... on April 19 and four days after the second phase of polling... on April 26.

 

The non-release of the absolute number of votes polled coupled with the “unreasonable delay” in the release of votes polled data has led to apprehensions in the mind of the electorate about the sharp increase between initial data and data released on April 30, it said.