lok sabha elections: EC, have a look at electoral roll glitches

Every election has its clunky bits that need fixing. On top of the pile lies cock-ups involving electoral rolls, the most important basic document for conducting polls. The 2024 general elections had its share of ‘roll falls’. Allegations, ranging from deletion of names of voters, incorrect names on rolls, names appearing in unassigned booths and even names of the deceased appearing on rolls, have cropped up. While name deletion is harder than inclusion, many whose names were deleted complained that they never received any notice.

While EC has been doing a sterling job of a massively complex exercise, we can recognise that there is a problem that needs maintenance and repair. For starters, the challenge of compiling an electoral roll is enormous, with different levels of segregated skills and knowledge, motivation and training. Second, there’s voter migration and lack of a mechanism to account for this. Also, most voters don’t bother to check their names and act until the last minute. Political parties‘ participation in preparation of the electoral roll is, at best, passive, some only focusing on deleted names. Finally, the task of updating rolls is performed by government employees with ‘regular’ duties.

These issues need the seriousness they require, and solutions – use of new technology, de-linking the election process from preparation of the electoral roll, creation and fixing of a basic unit of electioneering with a dedicated cadre, and continuous updating until the last day of filing nominations, etc. The onus and accountability of fixing the glitch in the system lie with EC.