NEW DELHI: Continuing with various initiatives aimed at enhancing voters’ convenience and streamlining poll day arrangements, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued two more comprehensive instructions for providing mobile deposit facilities for voters just outside the polling stations and rationalising norms for canvassing by political parties.
The ECI in an official statement said, the instructions are in accordance with relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
The instructions come in wake of increasing coverage and usage of mobile phones in both urban and rural areas and the challenges faced not only by the voters at large, but also by senior citizens, women, and PwD electors in managing mobile phones on the poll day.
Acknowledging the issues, the poll panel has now decided to allow a mobile deposit facility just outside the polling stations, it said, adding that only mobile phones would be allowed within 100 meters of the polling station, and that too, only in switched-off mode.
As part of the arrangement, “very simple pigeonhole boxes or jute bags will be provided near the entrance door of the polling station, where the voters will be required to deposit their mobile phones”, the ECI said noting that the hand-held device would not be allowed to be carried inside the polling station by voters.
However, certain Polling Stations can be exempted from this provision based on adverse local circumstances by the Returning Officer, it said.
According to the ECI, Rule 49M of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which ensures secrecy of voting within the polling station, will continue to be strictly enforced.
In addition to this, with an aim to improve polling-day facilitation, the ECI has rationalised the permissible norms for canvassing in line with the electoral laws to 100 meters from the entrance of the polling station.
Therefore, the booths set up by the candidates on poll day for issuing unofficial identity slips to electors, in case the electors are not carrying their official Voter Information Slips (VIS) issued by the Commission, can now be set up beyond 100 meters of any polling station, it said.