Election management must be above reproach in the ‘Mother of Democracy’

Relevance: GS Paper II

Why in News? 

In a nation that prides itself as the cradle of democracy, election administration must be transparent and beyond doubt. 

More About the News: 

• Recently, the Supreme Court addressed petitions regarding the counting methodology of votes cast via electronic voting machines (EVMs), emphasizing the detrimental impact of baseless doubts on citizen participation and confidence in elections. 
• This underscores the need to trust the Election Commission's (EC) procedures. However, shortly after this ruling, the EC faced criticism for its failure to publish detailed voter turnout figures, opting instead to release only constituency-wise polling percentages. 
• This lack of transparency undermines trust in the EC. While there's no legal mandate to withhold this data, the EC's reluctance to disclose it contradicts the principles of free and fair elections. Polling officers are obligated to record turnout figures, which are then compiled and sent to the EC. 
• Digitizing and disseminating this information should be straightforward, yet the EC has cited sharing the data with polling agents as sufficient, further frustrating public access. This refusal parallels the State Bank of India's reluctance to disclose Electoral Bonds data, which required court intervention. Such actions erode faith in the electoral process and must be addressed to uphold democratic values.

Regarding transparency and accessibility in the electoral process there are some critical issues:

• While some state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) have taken steps to address the lack of transparency by publishing phase-wise numbers of male, female, and transgender voters, others lag behind. This issue gained attention when the Supreme Court recently questioned the Election Commission (EC) regarding its failure to disclose absolute numbers.
• However, challenges persist across various CEO websites. For instance, the Odisha CEO's website was inaccessible at the time of writing, and many CEO websites lack bilingual support. Furthermore, essential information such as the identity of Returning Officers (ROs) is not consistently available. 
• Accessibility issues extend to voter registration materials, with some websites offering only English-language support and presenting hurdles like captcha codes.
• Basic demographic data, like the number of registered male, female, and transgender voters, is often unavailable on CEO websites, and constituency-wise information is frequently absent. 
• In a country that prides itself on being a democratic pioneer, electoral management should prioritize transparency and accountability. The EC, empowered by the Constitution to ensure fair elections, must not only fulfill its duties but also demonstrate transparency, especially regarding voter turnout.

What Can Be Done:

• In a nation priding itself on democratic principles, transparency in election management is paramount. 
• There is an urgent need of ensuring that citizens have access to comprehensive information about voter turnout and electoral procedures.  
• The Election Commission, vested with significant authority, must ensure not only the accurate recording and declaration of the people's mandate but also demonstrate unwavering transparency, particularly concerning voter turnout figures. 

Conclusion:

As citizens, we must remain vigilant, recalling the importance of transparency in electoral processes, as famously stated, "The people who cast the votes don’t decide an election, the people who count the votes do."