ECI's 28 Initiatives to Enhance Elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has implemented 28 new initiatives over the past six months, aimed at enhancing the electoral process through reforms in various sectors. These initiatives focus on stakeholder engagement, strengthening of electoral systems, technology utilization, electoral roll purification, voter ease, and capacity building among electoral officials.

Summary of Initiatives:

• Stakeholder Engagement:

  • A total of 4,719 all-party meetings have been conducted, including 40 by Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), 800 by District Election Officers (DEOs), and 3,879 by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), with over 28,000 representatives from various political parties participating.
  • ECI has organized 20 meetings involving Presidents and senior leaders of national and state parties to facilitate ongoing interaction.

• Strengthening and Cleanup of Electoral Systems:

  • 476 inactive Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) have been identified for delisting; 334 have already been removed.
  • Roles for 28 stakeholders have been mapped according to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act of 1950 and 1951, Registration of Electors Rules 1960, and Conduct of Election Rules 1961.
  • Standard identity cards have been issued for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to enhance transparency.
  • New SOPs for checking EVM microcontrollers have been established, conducting checks on 5% of EVMs post-results.
  • Bilateral meetings were held by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar with global election management bodies at the IDEA Stockholm Conference in June 2025.

• Enhanced Use of Technology:

  • Launch of ECINET, a one-stop digital platform amalgamating over 40 apps/websites for stakeholders including voters and election officials.
  • 100% webcasting of polling stations to monitor activities and maintain electoral integrity.
  • Presiding Officers required to upload turnout data to ECINET every two hours on polling days.
  • Implementation of mandatory Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) counts for any mismatches.

• Purity of Electoral Rolls:

  • A special intensive revision of electoral rolls has been conducted in Bihar to ensure accuracy.
  • First-time simultaneous summary revisions have been carried out prior to recent by-elections in four states.
  • Death registration data will allow timely updates to electoral rolls, aiding in the removal of ineligible names.
  • An initiative for faster delivery of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), enabling updates and new cards within 15 days.

• Ease of Voting:

  • Mobile phone deposit facilities have been introduced outside polling stations.
  • Limiting the number of voters at each polling station to 1,200 to minimize crowding.
  • Enhanced voter information slips with clearer visibility of details for easier verification.
  • Candidate booths can now be established just outside 100 meters of polling stations for issuing unofficial identity slips.

• Capacity Building:

  • Over 7,000 BLOs and supervisors have received expanded training at IIIDEM in New Delhi.
  • Enhanced remuneration has been instituted for BLOs, supervisors, and other electoral staff.
  • Orientation sessions have been conducted for media officers and state police to enhance preparedness and communication.

Key Takeaways:

• The initiatives have been structured around five reform pillars: stakeholder engagement, strengthening electoral systems, technology use, electoral roll purity, and voter ease.
• The ongoing reforms are governed by relevant constitutional articles and established electoral laws, emphasizing a cleaner and more accessible electoral process.
• Training programs aim to empower electoral officials and volunteers, thereby improving the overall efficiency of election management.

These initiatives reflect the ECI's commitment to fortifying the democratic process in India, enhancing transparency, and improving the ease of participation for all eligible voters.