ECI To SC: Voter Turnout Data Disclosure Raises Voter Confusion Concerns

The Election Commission of India (ECI) submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, expressing concerns over disclosing voter turnout data based on Form 17C, stating it could lead to confusion among voters as it would include postal ballot counts. The affidavit argued that there is no legal right to demand the publication of final authenticated voter turnout data for all polling stations. It cautioned against uploading Form 17C on websites, citing possibilities of manipulation and mistrust.

The affidavit emphasized the potential for confusion among voters, especially in closely contested elections, where disclosing Form 17C could be misinterpreted. The ECI clarified that as per rules, Form 17C is only provided to polling agents and not to the public. The ECI filed the affidavit in response to an application by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), seeking immediate disclosure of voter turnout data for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

The ECI urged the dismissal of ADR’s application, attributing it to “vested interests” aiming to discredit its functioning. Last week, the Supreme Court requested the ECI’s response on the application seeking the immediate publication of voting details after each phase of polling in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The application by ADR highlighted delays in publishing voter turnout data for the first two phases of polling and discrepancies in the percentages initially released by the ECI compared to those published later. It requested tabulated polling station-wise data and constituency-wise voter turnout figures for the ongoing election, along with scanned copies of Form 17C Part-II containing candidate-wise results after the compilation of results.

The NGO pointed out a significant increase in voter turnout percentages between the initial data released on polling days and the figures published later by the ECI.