The Election Commission has decided to conduct another leg of enrolment drive for issuance of fresh voter identity cards.
The second leg of accepting fresh applications, requisitions for revisions and transfers is scheduled to start from January 17 and conclude on the the last date of filing nominations for contestants. However, the Commission will release its ‘final’ electoral roll on January 16-- as announced earlier--based on enrolment applications received so far.
“The second electoral list will be appended to main electoral roll which will be published on January 16. Besides, the work for preparing the foundation election roll, which had started in September 2013 is satisfactory,” said Vindo Zutshi, deputy election commissioner of India in a media briefing after holding a review meeting with district electoral officers here on Monday.
For the first time, voters will obtain photo voter slips that will be delivered at their door step and will have information like polling date, nearest polling station, etc., he said. “These slips will be delivered to the voters two or three days before the election is scheduled. Even if the voters fail to carry their voter IDs to the polling booths, these slips will serve as identity proof and allow them to cast their votes. These were first introduced in during 2010 election in Bihar,” he added.
The Commission is also likely to introduce ‘voter verifiable paper trail’ in EVMs on pilot-basis at select places in the ensuing legislative elections in the state. “Along with party symbols and buttons corresponding to them, an additional screen will be incorporated in EVMs which will display party symbol for which the voter will cast his vote. It will be displayed for seven seconds. The system was introduced in the recent elections in Mizoram and in one constituency in Delhi where it was success,” he added.
To apprise the political parties about the new law on the limitation of expenditure, the State Election Commission will organise a workshop soon. “We will designate separate expenditure observers, assistant observers, flying squads and other sophisticated methods to curtail the distribution of money and liquor as bribe to the voters. Further, we will map vulnerable spots in state where anti-social elements are prone to intimidate people from casting their votes. We will also conduct a review meeting with district SPs and magistrates over the issue soon,” he added.