Bengaluru: The Election Commission (EC) will be rolling out more than three dozen apps in the coming days in a bid to make the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls more “technology friendly.”
Determined to make the ensuing polls a ‘festival of people,’ the EC has decided to use IT at all levels and involve people directly to keep tab on political parties and their activities. The Commission yesterday launched an application, designed by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (OCEO), Karnataka, to facilitate better voter enrolment/ registration process.
Umesh Sinha, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, said that voters can get complete details about their polling station’s address, Assembly constituencies and other details on their mobile phones.
To know the details, voters have to enter their electoral photo ID card number (EPIC) or send an SMS to 9731979899 in the following format – KAEPIC (space) ID card No. (Eg: KAEPIC XYZ1509201).
Apps will be launched to address complaints, to give clearances for campaign-related activities and to access polling stations that will be digitally mapped, Sinha said and added strict enforcement of model code of conduct and expenditure monitoring will be put in place. Enforcement agencies like I-T and Excise Departments have been asked to track movement of cash on inter-State borders, and take action against distributing gifts in tokens and coupons form. Central Police forces will be provided at all strategic locations while CCTVs, flying squads and static surveillance teams will be set up in all constituencies.
Ensuring secrecy of voting, especially in postal ballot, the EC will use encrypted ballots named e-ballots. Encrypted blank postal ballots will be sent to the persons directly and only they can download it. After casting their vote, they will have to send it to Returning Officers through speed post. Returning Officers handling such encrypted ballots will be given OTPs and they could count them only after getting OTP authentication.
Countering the inducement of voters by political parties, the EC will step up its surveillance system and it has roped in I-T and Enforcement Directorate officials to keep a tab on the election expenditure of candidates.
The 2013 polls were felt to be tough with a cap on expenditure for candidates. However, after amending the rules in 2014, the EC has now increased the spending per candidate from earlier Rs. 7.5 lakh to Rs. 28 lakh. The poll expenses per constituency are also likely to be hiked.
Keeping an eye on the expenditure by candidates, three flying squads and three static squads will be deployed at every Assembly segment besides constituting an Expenditure Monitoring Committee at district-level.
This post was published on January 11, 2018 6:52 pm