New Delhi, 3 June (H.S.): The Election Commission of India is implementing a new, technology-enhanced system for quicker updates on voter turnout percentages. This approach addresses delays linked to previous manual reporting methods and reflects the Commission's dedication to timely public communication, emphasized by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar.

According to Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, Presiding Officers (PROs) must provide Form 17C to polling agents, which records the votes. While this legal obligation remains, the process for updating the Voter Turnout Reporting (VTR) App is being revised for quicker updates. Under the new initiative, PROs will enter voter turnout data into the ECINET App every two hours on polling day, expediting the availability of turnout trends, which will continue to be published bi-hourly. After polls close, PROs will immediately input turnout data into ECINET, reducing delays and ensuring real-time availability of voting percentages on the updated VTR App, depending on network connectivity. If mobile networks are unavailable, offline entries can be made and synchronized later. The updated VTR App will be utilized in the upcoming Bihar elections. Previously, turnout data was manually collected by Sector Officers and communicated via phone or text, causing delays of 4–5 hours or longer, often leading to misinterpretations of the voting trends.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar