The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday released the absolute number of voters for the first five phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This release marks an expansion in the format of voter turnout data. The poll body stated that it felt "duly strengthened" by the Supreme Court's recent decision not to consider a plea directing the Commission to publish the final voter turnout data for all polling stations on its website.
"The Commission feels duly strengthened by the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s observations and verdict on the process of release of turnout data by the Election Commission of India," the ECI said in a statement today.
This new format includes the absolute number of voters in each parliamentary constituency, with assurances that altering the number of votes polled is impossible.
This development comes after the Opposition questioned the delays caused by the EC in releasing the final voter turnout data after the first and second polling alleging discrepancies. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had claimed that the Election Commission's "credibility" was at an "all-time low".
In response, the Commission reiterated that its process for collecting and storing votes is rigorous, transparent, and participative. It added that there was a "pattern of false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate the electoral process".
"The Commission and its officials across the states have been disseminating voter turnout data in the best possible manner, taking into account statutory considerations," the Commission said in a statement.
The ECI detailed the process involved in recording and releasing voter turnout data:
Final Elector List: Provided to candidates after finalisation.
Form 17C: Authorised agents receive this form for each polling station, ensuring transparency.
Inviolable Records: The votes recorded in Form 17C cannot be altered.
Secure Transport: Agents accompany the EVMs and statutory papers, including Form 17C, to secure shortage.
Verification: Candidates or their agents verify Form 17C data at counting centres.
The ECI highlighted the continuous availability of voter turnout data through its Voter Turnout App. "Voter turnout data was always available 24X7 on the Voter Turnout App from 9:30 AM on the poll day of each phase," the poll body said. The app publishes estimated turnout data every two hours on poll days and updates continuously after polling ends, providing the best estimated "Close of Poll" data by midnight.
The Commission explained that different media organisations report turnout data at various times, which might lead to perceptions of delay. "After the arrival of the poll parties, depending on geographical and weather conditions, the data of voters attains finality on P+1 or P+2 or P+3 or more days, depending upon arrival of parties and number of repolls, if any," the Commission said.
The ECI has introduced several recent enhancements, including upgrading the Voter Turnout App to include aggregate phase-wise turnout figures, enabling a screenshot feature in the Android version of the app, releasing constituency-wise elector data, and releasing voter turnout data at around 23:45 hours on poll day.
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