According to the official site of the state election commission of Karnataka SECKA the role of this commission is:
“The State Election Commission, is a constitutional body came into existence with the promulgation of 73rd and 74th amendment to the Constitution of India on 26-05-1993 with an objective of superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and to conduct all elections to the Urban and Rural local bodies viz., City Corporation, City Municipal Corporation, Town Municipal Corporations, Town Panchayat, Zillah Panchayat, taluk Panchayat and Gram Panchayat.”
The preparation of electoral rolls in Karnataka is thus the primary responsibility of SECKA. The hue and cry we had recently about the missing names in the electoral rolls is but a sad commentary on the functioning of SECKA.
There is an enumerator who prepares a list of names of persons residing at a given address. During the previous LA election an enumerator visited our place on our request and included our names in the list. This operation also deleted the names of previous occupants of our house. This I presume how our names were in the voters list at the designated polling booth for our locality. Fortunately our (me and my wife) names were also there in the list this time around for the LS elections.
However I do not understand why there should be a deletion?
1. Any way the same person cannot vote more than once
2. A wrong person cannot vote in proxy as there is a photo ID in place.
3. How does it matter if the previous person wants to vote in the old constituency?
4. However it is the prerogative of the person whose name is deleted to expect that his name is transfered to another polling booth, and the same is bropught to his notice.
EC has no authority to delete names except those who are dead as per valid death records. However if a name is deleted from the list of a particular polling booth, with the purpose of transferring it to another polling booth the polling booth to which the name has been transferred should be mentioned, in the deleted list. This is the least courtesy expected from the commission.
There is a move to make EPIC Mandatory at a future date. What is the basis on which such a proposal is made? If EPIC is at best a mere photo ID, why other photo Ids like driving license cannot serve to Identify the voter?
The official web site of the SECKA should be providing a search option to find the polling booth in which a particular person’s name is included. All other photo ID cards like
1. Driving license
2. Any Bank Debit card
3. PAN Card
4. Etc
should also be enabled with the same optiion.
SECKA should in fact be working on ways and means to harness emerging Bio metric Identification technology. The Income tax department may be looking at such a possibility. Can the SECKA afford the luxury of working in isolation?
PSA
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CEC is a top heavy body without proper limbs
PSA sir,
The rule book you have mentioned is now passe. It needs to be amended drastically, there is no meaning is continuing with the old hat attitude. Let us move forward.
We need solutions -plausible solutions, implementable, replicable, sustainable, economical and within the frame work of amended articles of constitution, byelaws, Peoples Representations Act and other rule books. They need a second look and even if it means that we have to change or bend every rule, we will have to do it.
We cannot remain in a foolhardy country anymore. Either innovate or perish.
We don't care who manages to capture power and with whatever means, what we will have to insist and get is as the first priority in the inaugural session itself is -
bring in drastic electoral reforms to cure India's system from AIDS (Alarmingly Infected Democratic System)
- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
Electoral Rolls - An Overhaul Is Overdue
PSA /VKM - Noted yr comments.
We have heard enough complaints related to deficiencies with electoral rolls. It is now time for a complete overhaul.
The old system of waking up at the last minute & trying to meet the demands of updating the rolls just a few months before elections has not worked.
What is needed is a system that works throughout the year, irrespective of whether elections are scheduled or not since the numbers are too large to cope with in a few months.
Though EC & the various SECs are full-time bodies, their work begins in earnest only when elections are scheduled & this is perhaps where the problem is.
If these bodies have sufficient staff strength all through the year on a permanent basis, one can get his EPIC anytime & also, the rolls will be up-to-date at any time, similar to a PAN card or a driving license.
The move toward a full-time operation can be a formidable task for the SECs & to do this, some actions & investments are necessary. Round the year staff with salaries, office network/s, a secure database management would all be necessary, but I think this is already overdue now.
Mumbai's voter turnout is also very poor - even in a city dominated by slums with over 70% population. So, it's no different anywhere in the country, & this is very telling.