Seeking to prevent unauthorised individuals from accessing counting centres on May 4, the Election Commission of India has introduced a QR code-based photo identity card system.
The new system will be implemented during the vote counting process for five state assemblies on May 4 and will subsequently become a standard feature in all future Lok Sabha, assembly, and by-elections, the poll body said.
States including Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry had gone to polls earlier this month, with counting scheduled for next week. To strengthen security, a three-tier verification mechanism has been put in place at counting centres. At the first and second levels, photo identity cards issued by the respective returning officers will be manually checked.
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At the third and innermost security layer, located near the counting halls, entry will be allowed only after successful verification through QR code scanning, ensuring an additional layer of authentication.
The QR code-enabled identity cards will be issued to all categories of individuals authorised by the EC to access counting centres and halls. These include returning officers, assistant returning officers, counting personnel, technical staff, candidates, election agents, and counting agents, among others.
The Commission clarified that media personnel will continue to be granted entry based on authority letters issued under existing guidelines. The move comes in the backdrop of a controversy during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when a mobile phone belonging to an authorised individual was allegedly used by a candidate’s aide without permission during vote counting in the Mumbai North West constituency, raising concerns over security protocols.
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