E-voting for senior citizens, disabled, poll staff: SEC

Hyderabad: State Election Commission is contemplating to provide e-voting process for senior citizens, disabled and elections staff in the ensuing Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This was announced by the State Election Commissioner C Parthasarathi during a meeting with the zonal commissioners during the training program of Te-poll software here on Tuesday. He said the SEC in coordination with the Information Technology department was trying out the possibilities of going for E-voting in the forthcoming elections. He also said E-Voting would stand as a role model innovation for the entire country. The Commission would also use face recognition software in 150 polling stations including one in each of the 150 divisions in GHMC. The SEC said that one polling station from each ward in the 150 division would be selected for the face recognition software. He said that it was one of the advanced innovations to identify voter with the available data. In earlier elections this technology was piloted in ten polling stations to assess accuracy.

The SEC said that usage of advanced technology in forthcoming elections would enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability. The SEC said that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, usage of maximum technology would help all the stakeholders to conduct elections smoothly. With the advent of technology voters can download voter slip, constituency and polling station wise voter list, know polling station etc., online within no time, he said.

The SEC said that technology would ease the process of polling from nomination to declaration of poll results. Te –poll software would allow contesting candidates and party candidates to view all the details online. It will also reduce manpower working hours as well as ensure accuracy, he said. The SEC further said that the training programme was aimed at training GHMC officials on election process management, polling personnel randomisation system, counting personnel randomisation system, election expenditure module etc. The officials from six zones were given extensive training on Te-poll software and were also provided hands-on-training, he added.