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Ahmedabad: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday, September 11, said India’s electoral process is among the most transparent in the world, as verification is carried out at every stage, starting with electoral rolls to counting of votes.

He was speaking at the ‘Interaction with Booth Level Officers’ programme held at Atal Kalam Hall of Gujarat University.

“At every stage of India’s electoral process, political parties, candidates or their agents continuously carry out verification. Therefore, India’s electoral process is among the most transparent electoral processes in the world,” an official release quoted Kumar as saying.

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The electoral rolls are continuously verified with the participation of political parties and their Booth Level Agents (BLAs), he said.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are responsible for identifying cases, such as Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Foreigner (ASDDF), while ensuring that eligible voters remain on the electoral rolls, the CEC added.

The name of every eligible Indian citizen who has completed 18 years of age should be included in the electoral rolls, he said.

Explaining the transparency of the polling process, he said that before polling begins, EVMs and VVPATs are checked during the mock poll in the presence of polling agents of candidates.

After polling concludes, the procedures related to the EVM results are completed in the presence of candidates’ agents, and the necessary documents are signed, the release said.

Similarly, during counting, the votes recorded in the EVMs are verified against the votes mentioned in Form 17C in the presence of counting agents of the candidates, it added.

The chief of the poll authority said that the Election Commission undertakes the electoral roll revision process (Special Intensive Revision) from time to time to maintain purity and accuracy of the rolls.

BLOs visit voters’ homes and directly interact with them to verify the required details, he said, adding that efforts are made to make the electoral rolls more accurate through processes such as submission of appropriate documents, mapping and hearings.

He urged BLOs to remain continuously active in maintaining the accuracy of electoral rolls, and said whenever they get time, they should check the electoral roll in their respective areas and ensure that necessary procedures are completed to add the names of young people who have attained 18 years of age.

He said this is one of the greatest services to the country’s democracy.

The CEC also participated in the fifth regional conference on “Electoral Literacy Clubs and ECINET” in Ahmedabad, focusing on strengthening electoral literacy and democratic awareness among young citizens.

Kumar urged the youth and members present to download the ‘ECINET’ app and help their family members and people around them register new names on the electoral roll, the release said.

Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) functioning in schools and colleges would further strengthen democratic values among young minds, it added.

At the programme, Kumar and other dignitaries directly interacted with more than 1,000 ELC members, school and college nodal officers, campus ambassadors, BLOs and various stakeholders.

India currently holds the chairmanship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), an organisation comprising 35 major democracies of the world, which reflects global recognition of India’s free and fair electoral system, the release quoted Kumar as saying.

The name of every citizen who has completed 18 years of age should be added to the electoral roll, and citizens should fulfil their duty by voting on polling day, he said.