PREPARATION AND REVISION OF ELECTORAL ROLLS AND

CHALLENGES

Submitted by
VENU GOPAL U
(190401427076)
X Semester
Batch 2019-24

Under Supervision of
Prof. PRATISHTHA YADAV

Alliance School of Law

Alliance University, Bangalore

1
ABSTRACT

The preparation and revision of electoral rolls are fundamental processes in ensuring the
integrity and fairness of elections. In the context of India, where democracy thrives on the
principle of universal adult suffrage, the accuracy and completeness of electoral rolls are
paramount. This research paper delves into the intricate mechanisms involved in the
preparation and revision of electoral rolls, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of the
Election Commission of India (ECI) and its network of officials, including District Electoral
Registration Officers and Booth Level Officers. The paper examines the legal framework
governing electoral rolls, with particular emphasis on the Representation of the People Act,
1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
It also examines the difficulties and complexities involved in keeping correct voter lists, such
as problems with data accuracy, including eligible voters, and the fluid nature of the election
process. This study attempts to clarify the importance of strong electoral roll management in
maintaining the democratic values of accountability, openness, and inclusivity in the election
process through a thorough examination.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. RESEARCH PROBLEM

3. LITERATURE REVIEW

4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE PAPER

6. HYPOTHESIS

7. SCOPE AND LIMITATION

8. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

9. ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

10. CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS OF ELECTORAL ROLLS

11. ELECTORAL MACHINERY

12. ESSENTIALS OF ELECTORAL ROLLS

13. CHALLENGES

14. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

15. BIBLIOGRAPHY

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INTRODUCTION

India, a democratic nation, regularly conducts elections, a vital aspect of its democratic
fabric. Overseeing and administering these elections is the Election Commission of India
(ECI), an impartial and independent body mandated by the Constitution. Established on
January 25, 1950, the ECI is responsible for organizing free and fair elections at both the
Union and State levels, managing the electoral process for Parliament, State Legislatures, and
the offices of the President and Vice-president. Central to any election are the Electoral Rolls,
essential documents containing the names of eligible voters. The accuracy of these rolls is
pivotal to ensuring fairness and impartiality in elections. The Election Commission entrusts
the preparation and maintenance of Electoral Rolls to District Electoral Registration Officers
and their subordinates, overseeing the process as per Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.
Despite the continuous efforts of electoral machinery to refine and update these rolls, the task
remains dynamic, necessitating ongoing revisions. The Representation of the People Act,
1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, govern the conduct of elections and the
formulation of voting rolls, establishing clear rules regarding qualifications and procedures.
India's democratic success hinges on the integrity of the voting process, characterized by
universal adult suffrage, enabling individuals aged 18 and above to vote. Since its inaugural
general election in 1951–1952, India has seen 17 Lok Sabha’s elected, reflecting the
democratic will of the people, who exercise their right to vote to select their representatives.
Ultimately, elections empower citizens to determine their leaders, embodying the essence of
democracy where the electorate has the ultimate authority.
The legal framework governing elections and the formulation of Electoral Rolls is provided
by the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Representation of the People Act,
1951. These acts delineate clear rules and procedures concerning qualifications, appeals, and
electoral conduct, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. Universal adult suffrage
underscores the inclusivity of India's electoral system, granting individuals aged 18 and
above the right to vote.

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India's democratic journey is exemplified by its inaugural general election in 1951–1952,
marking the beginning of a vibrant electoral democracy. Since then, 17 Lok Sabha’s have
been elected, serving as a testament to the democratic aspirations of the Indian electorate.
Elections serve as a mechanism through which citizens exercise their right to choose their
representatives, embodying the essence of democracy where the voice of the people holds
paramount importance.
Article 324 to 329 part XV of the Indian Constitution deals with matters relating to election.
The framers of the Constitution realized the necessity of independent and impartial
constitutional body for conduct and superintendence of elections for the success of
democracy, for this purpose they established independent Election Commission under Article
324, the preparation direction and conduct of all elections to Parliament and to the
Legislature of every state and of the election to the President and Vice-President have been
vested in a permanent constitutional body called the Election Commission. Article 325 of the
Constitution prohibits exclusion from participation in the electoral process on the ground of
religion, race, caste or sex. Article 326 establishes adult suffrage that right to vote has been
given to every citizen above 18 years of age.

Article 327 vests in Parliament the supreme power to make laws relating to election at central
as well as state levels. However, Article 328 gives the states also certain limited powers of
legislation with respect to elections. This was found necessary in order to avert the fear from
the mind of minorities in the states of being discriminated against by the majority and the
courts are barred from interfering in electoral matters under Article 329.
The legal framework governing elections and the formulation of Electoral Rolls is provided
by the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Representation of the People Act,
1951. These acts delineate clear rules and procedures concerning qualifications, appeals, and
electoral conduct, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. Universal adult suffrage
underscores the inclusivity of India's electoral system, granting individuals aged 18 and
above the right to vote.

Ultimately, the success of Indian democracy rests on the sanctity and integrity of the electoral
process, where free and fair elections serve as the bedrock of democratic governance.
Through its commitment to upholding the principles of transparency, inclusivity, and
accountability, India continues to strengthen its democratic institutions and foster civic
engagement among its citizens.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
 Role of Election Commission in India issues and challenges", - By
Purushotam, Ranga, Ajay. 2019:
This article addresses the problems and obstacles that the Election Commission faces
when trying to hold free and fair elections. The Election Commission, legislators, and
attorneys would benefit from the study's awareness and analysis of new concerns as
well as the application of election laws.

 Electoral Roll Management in India: A Critical Analysis" by Gupta,

S., & Agarwal, A. (2017):

This critical examination looks at the intricacies of managing the electoral roll in
India, focusing on problems such as voter disenfranchisement, inconsistencies in voter
registration, and the influence of politics. To maintain the credibility and integrity of
the democratic process, the report emphasises how crucial it is to solve these issues.
.

 Role of Technology in Electoral Roll Management: Opportunities

and Challenges" by Patel, K., & Desai, A. (2021):

This study assesses the use of technology in the maintenance of electoral rolls,
stressing both the advantages—such as biometric authentication, data analytics, and
GIS mapping—and disadvantages—such as cybersecurity risks, data privacy issues,
and the digital divide. It covers methods for efficiently utilising technology while
reducing related dangers.

 Ensuring Inclusivity in Electoral Roll Management: Lessons from

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes" by Reddy, G., & Kumar, V.
(2017):

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 Focusing on marginalized communities, this study examines the challenges faced by
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in electoral roll management, including issues
of underrepresentation, voter suppression, and lack of access to voter registration
facilities. It proposes measures for ensuring inclusivity and equitable participation in
the electoral process.

 Improving Electoral Roll Quality: Lessons from International

Experiences" by Das, A., & Singh, R. (2019):

This study provides best practices for enhancing the quality of electoral rolls by
analysing global experiences. These practices include systematic voter registration
procedures, data cleansing methods, and citizen engagement programmes. It provides
information on how these lessons might be used to improve India's electoral roll
administration.

 Role of election commission in Indian democracy - A critical study of

electoral reforms of India", - By Sivakumar, C L V, A,
Subrahmanyam

This essay attempts to critically evaluate the novel concepts in order to create a
variety of strategies for the effective execution of electoral reforms in a democracy
such as India.

 "Electoral Roll Management and Challenges in India" by Kumar,

R., & Pandey, S. (2018):

This paper provides an overview of the challenges faced in the preparation and
revision of electoral rolls in India. It discusses issues such as duplicate entries,
outdated information, and inaccuracies in voter lists. The study also analyses the role
of technology in improving electoral roll management and suggests strategies for
enhancing the accuracy and inclusivity of voter registration processes.

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RESEARCH PROBLEM

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has worked hard to ensure free and fair elections,
but there are still a number of issues that need to be resolved in order to prepare and update
the electoral rolls. These difficulties include problems with voter registration, voter
information verification, duplicate and deceased voter identification, and the use of
technology during the planning and revision process.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
.
• To comprehend the judicial perspective on electoral rolls.
• To comprehend the historical perspective with clarity.
• To elucidate electoral rolls and the difficulties encountered during preparation and revision.
• To comprehend the judicial perspective on electoral rolls.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What are the primary obstacles that Indian election officials must overcome to prepare
and update electoral rolls, and how may these obstacles be overcome?

What steps may be made to address the effects of variables like political meddling, a
lack of funding, and low public awareness of the completeness and accuracy of India's
voting rolls?

HYPOTHESIS:

Political interference, insufficient funding, and a dearth of public awareness are among the
contributing factors that may compromise the comprehensiveness and accuracy of India's
electoral rolls. These influences can lead to discrepancies in data, underrepresentation, and
impediments to voter participation, thereby undermining the integrity of the electoral process.

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SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY:
SCOPE: The scope of this study on the accuracy and completeness of India's electoral rolls
includes a thorough analysis of all the variables influencing the credibility of voter
registration procedures. It will investigate how public awareness, financing limitations, and
political meddling affect the inclusion and accuracy of electoral rolls. The study will also
examine the degree of data inaccuracies and omissions, disproportionate representation
among demographic groupings, and voter suppression incidents. Through an exploration of
these facets, the study seeks to furnish a thorough comprehension of the obstacles confronting
India's electoral roll management mechanism.
LIMITATION: Although this study aims to clarify the nuances related to India's voter lists, it
is important to recognise its limits. First off, since this information isn't always easily
accessible or open, the study might have trouble getting hold of complete and current data on
voter suppression incidents and anomalies in the electoral list. Furthermore, time and budget
constraints may limit the research's scope, requiring it to concentrate on particular areas or
facets of electoral roll maintenance. Moreover, contextual considerations like modifications
to administrative procedures or voting rules may have an impact on the study's findings,
which may affect how broadly applicable the findings are. Notwithstanding these drawbacks,
the study hopes to provide insightful information about improving the accuracy and calibre of
India's electoral rolls.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

This research is based on ‘Doctrinal Research’ which contains a detailed explanation of the
topic.
The Sources used in this research are:
Primary Sources: Case Laws
Secondary Sources: Books, Journals, Online Research Articles and Websites.

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 ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

The Election Commission is the way it is now because of one memorable debate and
discussion. The original idea was to have some kind of central voting authority, with one
group running elections for the Parliament and each state having its own system for similar
tasks. The Central Election Commission was to be chosen by the President of India, and the
Governor was to choose a similar group for his state. This is how the highest level body was
pictured in the Draught Constitution of India.
A Commission, which would be chosen by the President, would be in charge of overseeing,
directing, and controlling all elections to Parliament and to the offices of President and Vice-
President held under this constitution.1 This would include appointing election tribunals to
settle any questions or disagreements that came up during or about the elections to
Parliament.
All elections to the legislature of a state for the time being, as listed in Part I of the First
Schedule, and all votes to the office of governor of a state were to be supervised, directed,
and controlled by a panel set up for that reason. As stated in the constitution, it was up to a
Commission to choose a Governor for a state that was governed by this Constitution. This
included choosing election tribunals to settle any questions or disagreements that arose from
or had to do with the Legislature of that state. Subject to what the Constitution says,
Parliament can make laws about anything related to or connected with elections to either
House of Parliament. This includes things like how to make sure the two Houses of
Parliament are properly made up and how to divide up the country into voting districts.
The writing group of the Constituent Assembly had two different ideas about how the
Election Commission should be made up: (a) Either to have a fixed body of four or five
members, or (b) to have an ad hoc body made up when there are a lot of elections. The
writing group finally chose to find a middle ground.4 The committee agreed that the Chief
Election Commissioner should be in charge of the Election Commission permanently. This
would make the Election Commission a permanent centre for organising and running bye-
elections and for setting up General Elections to Legislatures when they are dissolved early. 2

1
Katju, Manjari. “Election Commission and Functioning of Democracy.” Economic and Political Weekly 41,
no. 17 (2006): 1635–40.

2
Ibid

10
In Article 324 of the Constitution,3 it talks about how the Election Commission is made up.
Article 324(2) says that the Election Commission is made up of the top Election
Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. Article 324(3) says that if there are any
other Election Commissioners besides the Chief Election Commissioner, the Chief Election
Commissioner must be the Chairman of the Election Commission. Article 324(4) says that
the president can select Regional Commissioners to do the things that Clause (1) of Article
324 of the Constitution says they should do. Clause (2) of Ajrt.324 says that the Election
Commission can do its job without fear of disapproval from the lawmakers or the president.
The president decides the salary and working conditions of the Chief Election Commissioner
and the other Election Commissioners, as long as they don't violate the law or the
Constitution, which says that the Chief Election Commissioner's working conditions can't be
changed in a way that hurts him after he's been hired.
Article 324(6) prescribes “When asked by the Election Commission, the president or the
governor of the state shall make available to the Election Commissioner or a Regional
Commissioner any staff that may be needed for the Election Commission to do its job”. 4
From what was said in the Constituent Assembly, it was clear that the people who made the
Constitution wanted the Election Commission to be a truly independent body that the
government couldn't control or mess with in any way. Article 324(5) says that the president
can make rules about how the Election Commissioner and the Regional Commissioners work
and how long they stay in office, as long as they don't conflict with any laws made by
lawmakers. Election Commissioners and Regional Election Commissioners can't be fired
unless the Chief Election Commissioner says they should be.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS OF ELECTORAL ROLLS

Like the constitutionalists who came before them, the people who wrote the Indian
Constitution made sure that adults could vote in free, regular, secret elections for the
legislators. This was an important part of the democratic parliamentary governments at the
union and state levels. So, the country's democratic political system was built on the idea that
voters should be able to choose who should serve them.5 The governing or duty theory of
representation also had an effect on how legislative representation was done in the country.
3
Ibid
4
Katju, Manjari. “Election Commission and Functioning of Democracy.” Economic and Political Weekly 41,
no. 17 (2006): 1635–40.
5
“Role of election commission in Indian democracy - A critical study of electoral reforms of India” – By
Sivakumar, C L V, A, Subrahmanyam. 2011

11
The unique thing about the British way of government, which influenced the people who
wrote our Constitution, was that the executive was responsible to the Parliament (specifically,
the house that was elected by the people) and the representatives were responsible to the
people they represented, or their constituency, rather than the Parliament and the people. The
authority and involvement views of representation, on the other hand, did not impress the
early constitutionalists and leaders or the people who wrote the Constitution. Gandhiji did not
make his belief in the participation theory a requirement for agreeing to the plan for
parliamentary government in the country, and the Constitution-makers were not only
persuaded by Gandhiji's views on the matter. Even though it was formal, the theory of adult
franchise was based on two ideas: "individual freedom and human equality." The idea of
individual freedom was given to the fathers of the Constitution by the liberals in the national
freedom movement, while Gandhiji gave them the idea of human equality. "Both men and
women," wrote Johan Stuart Mill, whose ideas had a big impact on the way Indian liberals
thought, "do not need political rights so that they can rule, but so that they won't be ruled
wrongly." Most men are and will always be farmers or factory workers, but that doesn't make
them less deserving of the right to vote if they aren't likely to abuse it. No one acts like they
think that woman would use the right to vote badly. At worst, it is said that they would vote
for more children if their male relatives asked them to. If that's the case, let it be. If they think
for themselves, they will do a lot of good, but if they don't, nothing bad will happen. It is
good for people to be freed from their chains, even if they don't want to walk". Gandhiji, on
the other hand, saw the right to vote as a tool for self-defense and a way to control how a
person lives with other people in society.

ELECTORAL MACHINERY
Under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the Election Commission of India is
responsible for supervising, directing, and controlling the preparation of the electoral rolls,
which it delegates to the District Electoral Registration Officers and their subordinate
officers. To carry out this constitutional requirement, a vast infrastructure is required, from
the Election Commission of India all the way down to the Booth Level Officers. 6 The
Electoral Rolls are in their current form because of the tireless work of this equipment over a
long period of time, as well as the constant and relentless refining, reengineering, and
redesigning. However, the machine's accountability is perpetual. Keeping up with its

6
Id

12
reputation is an ongoing challenge for this machine, since the rolls are inherently dynamic.
The Electoral Rolls are maintained by this apparatus because to the extensive changes, annual
summary modifications, and constant updation that they undergo. The EC only has regular
staff at its headquarters in New Delhi. It does not have its own team out in the field. The
state's machinery follows the EC's instructions to make and update the voter list. In each
state, the main parts of the normal voting system on the ground are:

CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER

Before 1956, the RP Act of 1950 and 1951 didn't say anything about appointing a Chief
Electoral Officer (hereafter CEO) in the state, but there was an officer whose job it was to
make and update the electoral roll in the state. In accordance with the Representation of the
People (Preparation of voting Rolls) Rules of 1950, the state governments chose them. The
EC was of the opinion that the CEO should be chosen after consulting with the EC. So, the
Representation of the People (Amendment) Act of 1956 made changes to the 1950 Act and
the 1951 Act to make arrangements for this. It was written that "each state shall have a chief
electoral officer, who shall be a government official chosen by the Election Commission in
consultation with the government."7
The law also said that it was his job to make and update the voter list and run all polls for
Parliament and the state government in the state, with the Election Commission watching
over him. People from the national civil service are chosen to be chief electoral officers
because it is thought that the main duties of the chief electoral officer are executive. Every
chief election officer has a different office at the state level, which is run by other officers
chosen by the EC.
DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICERS
From a purely political point of view, the Election Commission thinks that a parliamentary
district would be the best way to divide up the land for efficient voting. But since the district
is the unit for many official reasons in each state, voting arrangements have also been based
on the district and its income sub-divisions. Since the beginning, the head of the district
administration has been in charge of these voting plans in each district, but before 1966, he
was not required by law to do so. On the advice of the Election Commission, the 1950 Act
and the 1951 Act were changed in 1966 by the Representation of the People (Amendment)

7
Kumar, Sanjay. “Reforming Indian Electoral Process.” Economic and Political Weekly 37, no. 34 (2002):
3489–91.

13
Act 1966. This gave legal recognition to the office of the district election officer for each
district in a state, who is an officer of the state government chosen or nominated by the
election commission in consultation with the government of the state.8

ELECTORAL REGISTRATION OFFICER

Section 13A (1) of the RP Act of 1950 says, "There shall be an officer called the Electoral
Registration Officer (hereinafter ERO) whose job it is to prepare and update the electoral
rolls." As electoral rolls are made by assembly constituency for both parliamentary and
assembly elections in all states (except J&K and the union territories, which don't have an
assembly), electoral registration officers are only hired for assembly constituencies in these
states. In the state of J&K and Union regions that don't have a legislature, each voting
constituency has its own ERO. In states with a governing council, each council district is also
given its own ERO. All of these EROs are state government employees chosen by the EC in
consultation with the government of the state where the constituency is located, or local
government employees chosen by the EC in consultation with the government of the state
where the constituency is located.9

ASSISTANT ELECTORAL REGISTRATION OFFICER

The EC can choose to name one or more people as Assistant Electoral Registration Officers
(AEROs) to help an ERO do his job. Despite the fact that the law doesn't say that the AERO
have to be government or local authority employees, the EC chooses the tehsildars and other
officers under the revenue district officers to be AERO. Each AERO should be able to do all
or some of the tasks of the ERO, as long as the ERO is in charge.

ENUMERATORS AND ENUMERATION SUPERVISOR

Electoral registration workers hire a lot of enumerators to go from house to house and count
qualified voters so that draught rolls can be made. 10 A lot of counting monitors are also hired
by the people in charge of voter registration to keep an eye on what they are doing. In most
states, these jobs are done on a part-time basis by regular state government and local
government workers, who are usually school teachers. In some places, casual jobs are created
just for this job and are used to hire people for it. But in August 1994, the Election
8
Id
9
“Role of election commission in Indian democracy - A critical study of electoral reforms of India” – By
Sivakumar, C L V, A, Subrahmanyam. 2011
10
Ibid

14
Commission said that the job of counting people shouldn't be done by hiring people on a
daily wage, because if they do a bad job, nothing can be done against them once their jobs are
done and their jobs are over. A large number of job workers who had been doing these jobs
for a long time in connection with the previous re-vision of electoral rolls in the State of West
Bengal and whose jobs were usually over when the process was done went to the Calcutta
High Court to challenge the Commission's orders. The state's voting registration officers were
told by a single bench of the High Court to hire these job workers for the above tasks because
they had enough experience in this area. On the state government's appeal to a division bench
of the high court, the single judge's decision was overturned. The division bench noted that
the Election Commission is the only body with the power to supervise, direct, and control the
preparation of electoral rolls, and that it is allowed to say what kind of staff it needs to do its
job under Article 324(1), which it did in this case.11

BOOTH LEVEL OFFICERS, BOOTH LEVEL ASSISTANTS, BOOTH LEVEL

VOLUNTEERS
On the eve of the general election for the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal in 2006, the
EC paid special attention to cleaning up the electoral rolls and making sure voters were
verified house-to-house. It also came up with a new plan and introduced the idea of booth
level officers (BLOs) to the polling station level of the electoral machinery. Under the new
plan, the Commission started the process of naming BLOs for each voting place in a district.
BLOs like teachers, anganwadi workers, patwaris, amins, lekhpals, panchayat secretaries,
village level workers, health workers, contract teachers, etc. work for the local government or
a part of the government. They get a small amount of money as a gratuity for doing the above
things.12

RETURNING OFFICER
The Returning Officer is the person who is most important to the way an election is run. The
law says that every parliamentary, assembly, or council district must always have a Returning
Officer. But for elections to the Council of States or a state legislative council by members of
the legislative assembly of the state, a Returning Officer must be chosen for each election.

11
Id
12
Id

15
There is nothing against the law that says the same person can't be the Returning Officer for
more than one district. He will have to do all the things that the law says he has to do.13
ASSISTANT RETURNING OFFICER
The poll process is so big that one person, the "returning officer," can't handle it well on their
own. So, the EC can choose one or more Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) to help him do
his job. The ARO must also be a government or local body official.
The EC chooses the AROs for the parliamentary constituency from the returning officers of
the assembly constituencies that are part of the parliamentary constituency. For assembly and
council constituencies, the people who help with voter registration are also the people who
help with counting the votes in those constituencies. ARO is often chosen by the EC to help
with the counting of votes, especially when the counting is done in more than one place.14

PRESIDING OFFICERS AND POLING OFFICERS

A Presiding Officer is in charge of the voting at a polling place. He is helped by as many poll
workers as are thought to be necessary. The EC says that a polling party for a single
parliamentary or assembly election should usually include a presiding officer and four polling
officers. If there is an election for both the house of the People and the state legislative
assembly at the same time, one more polling officer is added to the polling party. Additional
polling officers may also be appointed if the number of voters at a polling station is more
than five.
Section 29 of the RP Act of 1951 says, "The district election officer chooses the presiding
officers and polling officers for each polling station." The district election officer now
chooses voting parties in union territories as well, since there are now district election
officers in these areas as well. Members of the state legislative assembly vote for members of
the Council of States or the state legislative council. The returning officer acts as the head
officer and chooses the counting officers to help him. In 1989, there was a question about
whether district election officers could call on workers from public companies like the Life
Insurance Corporation and banks that had been taken over by the government. The Rajasthan
High Court ruled that the workers in question could not be called back to work in this way.
On review, the Supreme Court also agreed with what the High Court had said before.

13
Id
14
“Kashmir Assembly Election: How Free and Fair?” Economic and Political Weekly 38, no. 2 (2003): 101–5.

16
COUNTING SUPERVISORS AND COUNTING ASSISTANTS
The returning officer counts the votes or makes sure it gets done right. The law also says that
the ARO can count the votes. In a parliamentary constituency where votes are counted
assembly segment by assembly segment, the votes are counted by the ARO for the
parliamentary constituency, who is usually also the returning officer for each assembly
constituency. The law says that the RO can choose whoever he needs to help him with the
counts.

OBSERVERS
Not only should elections be free and fair, but people should be able to see that they are. "To
make sure that political parties and candidates run their campaigns according to the law and
agreed-upon standards and don't spend a lot of money on their campaigns, the EC appoints
special observers to keep an eye on the electoral proceedings in the constitution. The EC can
also put its own people in these positions. They act as the EC's eyes and ears on the ground
and tell the Commission right away about any problems or wrongdoings they see.

ESSENTIALS OF AN ELECTORAL ROLL

The most fundamental requirements for an Electoral Roll are that it be accurate, acceptable,
comprehensive, genuine, and up-to-date.
It is important that the Electoral Roll be as accurate as possible. All information provided
must be accurate, including but not limited to the spelling of names, definitions of
relationships, identification of sexual orientation, ages, and addresses. If even one of these
crucial conditions is not met, the reliability of the rolls will suffer. The need of precise
election registers has only grown with the advent of picture IDs. The rolls are erroneous and
incomplete due to mismatched photographs, blurry photos, or the absence of the shot
altogether. No foreigner or ineligible individual may be included on the Electoral Roll, but
all qualified citizens must be included. As a result, maintaining reliable rolls calls for
persistent work.15
All parties involved must agree that having the Rolls as a shared asset is fair and reasonable.
To make matters more complicated, political parties have vastly different ideologies,
objectives, and worries. In recent elections, it has been commonplace for political parties to
protest that voters from a certain area or who identify as members of a specific party were
15
Kumar, Sanjay. “Reforming Indian Electoral Process.” Economic and Political Weekly 37, no. 34 (2002):
3489–91.

17
either not included in the Rolls or were removed from the Rolls. 16 The opposition, in
particular, has been known to cast doubt on the election process from the time electoral rolls
are being compiled. To clear themselves of these suspicions, it is crucial that the voting
equipment function properly and that the voting Rolls be accepted by everybody.
Another essential condition is that the rolls include all eligible voters within a region. Even if
the voter registration list is correct, it may not include all eligible voters. Every qualified
voter in a given area should be included on the electoral register. However, this is not always
the case. The Electoral Registration Authorities do not add names to the voter rolls without a
request from a qualified elector. Therefore, full coverage may only be attained to the degree
that electors seek to be included. However, all qualified applicants must be included in the
rolls, making full inclusion a responsibility of the relevant authorities.17
The Electoral Rolls must accurately reflect eligible voters. Individuals' identities are
increasingly being verified via the use of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC). When
applying for a Ration Card, Permanent Account Number card, establishing a bank account,
and other services that need confirmation of identification or residency, EPICs may be used
instead. The government and the public both rely on these. To be included on the Electoral
Roll is prima facie evidence of Indian citizenship. Given the significance of having a correct
Electoral Roll and EPIC registration, accuracy is crucial.
Regular updates to the rolls are required. Because of the dynamic nature of the electoral
rolls, the rolls are always evolving. Even if something was true the day before, it doesn't
mean it still is. Voter rolls need to be regularly updated because of variables such as
population growth and shifts, changes in personal connections, the emergence of newly
eligible voters, and the passing of current voters.

CHALLENGES

The Electoral Registration Authorities encounter several obstacles while attempting to

manage the Electoral Roll in a way that guarantees the aforementioned qualities. 18

The sheer size of India's voting populace is the first major obstacle. It's an enormous
undertaking to manage a database with millions of entries. Electoral Roll preparation and
election administration are two examples of large-scale activities. There may be as many as

16
Ibid
17
Id
18
“Role of election commission in Indian democracy - A critical study of electoral reforms of India” – By
Sivakumar, C L V, A, Subrahmanyam. 2011

18
as many as the country's whole population working on an election or anything linked to it.
The sheer magnitude of the undertaking might make it seem insurmountable at first glance.

Every 10 years, the government conducts a nationwide census to collect data on the
population. The electoral revision, however, must be conducted at least once a year, since it
accounts for over 60% of the total population included in the census. Meaning the election
apparatus is responsible for a significant percentage of a decadal activity every single year.
This statistic alone demonstrates the enormity and difficulty of managing voter rolls.

The recent delimitation of constituencies has added to the difficulty of this task. The
Electoral Roll had to be completely reorganised for this project, and compliance with all
applicable laws and regulations was essential. The Electoral Rolls were updated to reflect the
redistribution of revenue blocks and settlements from one constituency to another. Elections
were held in 2009 according to the newly drawn electoral districts, and the process was
completed on time and without incident thanks to advances in computer technology and
steady support from the Election Commission of India in terms of hardware and software
needs.

Electoral roll administration is further complicated by factors like geographic dispersion and
inadequate infrastructure for public communication. Sometimes the Booth Level Officers
(BLOs) have to travel considerable distances only to gather data from a few of voters. What
the census enumerators perform once every 10 years, the BLOs do on a regular basis. Any
BLO's enthusiasm might be dampened by the challenge of reaching these people.
Unfortunately, the completeness of voter rolls is occasionally sacrificed to the expediency of
ignoring these individuals. Similarly, voters in such outlying areas don't bother to add their
names to the lists, therefore depriving themselves of the chance to cast a ballot in an election.
Because of their isolation and the challenges of contacting the voters, EPIC cannot hope to
achieve its goal of 100% coverage.19

Thirdly, another barrier to effective roll management is the general public's widespread
illiteracy, ignorance, and lack of knowledge. Some voters do not understand what
information must be included in the application for inclusion/deletion/transfer, who should
receive the application, when it must be submitted, how to find out if their application was
considered, etc. Due to their lack of literacy, no amount of awareness campaigns,
commercials, PR, brochures, or posters will be able to teach them. The difficulty in reaching
them with these awareness activities is exacerbated by the fact that they are geographically
19
Id

19
isolated. People who would otherwise be entitled to vote lose out on the electoral rolls
because their applications were invalidated due to incomplete or erroneous information or
because they failed to sign or provide a thumb imprint. Despite BLOs' best efforts to help
voters fill out their applications, over half of them are denied each year because they are
either missing required papers or were submitted without being signed. One reason why all of
a territory's eligible electorate isn't included on the electoral register is a lack of education on
the need of doing so.

Fourthly, it is challenging to guarantee the essentials of the electoral register because to the
different degrees of effectiveness and honesty among the authorities of the election apparatus,
particularly among the field functionaries. The BLOs come from many walks of life and
have varying degrees of drive. They're all from various divisions, and the amount of work
they have to do varies from division to division. There is a vast range in their levels of
schooling. Their relative performances vary greatly because of these disparities in
motivation, efficiency, honesty, educational credentials, regular work load in the parent
department, etc. Some of them have done a fantastic job of carrying out the assignment,
while others have completely bombed. They are immune to the effects of training
programmes, written instructions, and refresher courses. Constant monitoring and
supervision, as well as the prospect of disciplinary punishment for failure to perform, are not
always adequate deterrents. Despite the fact that polling place BLOs were intended to have a
permanent presence, frequent transfers by their parent departments made the notion
ineffective. A new incumbent has to go through all of the training sessions again since he is
less experienced with the electoral activities. There is a good risk he will be moved before he
has completed his training to administer the electoral register and the voters in his region.
The District Electoral Registration Officers have to deal with this on a daily basis, and it
presents a significant issue.20

Election administration is a massive undertaking that requires substantial resources. The

district authorities are unable to give the BLOs lucrative honoraria due to the high rate of
change and limited resources. When BLOs are expected to travel to remote locations, put in
extra time and effort outside of normal business hours, work on the weekend, and yet meet
strict deadlines, the modest compensation they get isn't enough to keep them going. To

20
Katju, Manjari. “Election Commission and Functioning of Democracy.” Economic and Political Weekly 41,
no. 17 (2006): 1635–40.

20
convince the BLOs to provide the desired result under these conditions is a formidable task in
and of itself. 21

Fifthly, the BLOs and other election officials lose interest in the Electoral Roll since it is
revised so often.22 Summary Due to the close proximity of the various phases of electoral roll
management (revision, intensive revision, cleaning of electoral rolls, multiple phases of
electoral photography, correction of electoral rolls, and regular roll updates), election officials
may believe that they are constantly working on electoral roll management. Boredom and
disinterest arise while doing the same thing over and over again. DEROs, who also serve as
District Collectors and Magistrates, have so many responsibilities that they can't give each
revision their full attention. Revisions that occur often lack the dramatic potential to capture
the attention of the media.

Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date Electoral Roll requires a significant amount of work
but must be prioritised. This necessitates having a team of people working in the field
devoted only to elections and election-related tasks.

Sixthly, apathy on the side of both political factions and the electorate is a problem. Only as
elections approach do political parties pay attention to the Electoral rolls. There are
occasions when voter registration lists are neglected. When it is discovered just before the
elections that some of their potential voters' names are not showing on the Electoral Roll, all
hell breaks loose and mayhem ensues. The electoral apparatus becomes suspect, and people
begin to question its neutrality and capacity to hold fair elections. If only these groups or
voters had realised the roll was flawed or incomplete at the right moment, the situation may
have been avoided altogether. However, in years when elections are not scheduled, the
Electoral Roll is often ignored. It's something the district authorities have to do because it's
boring and banal, but they have to do it anyhow.23

In years between elections, political parties seldom give electoral rolls their full attention.
The same holds true for the electorate. Advertisements in newspapers, on local television
stations, brochures, posters, and banners would not entice voters to leave their homes to
verify their names and addresses on the voter registration list in person. But the impact is felt
on election day, with or without promotion. If voters' names aren't on the rolls when they
show up to the polls, it's likely that fights and confusion will break out. All of the election
21
Ibid
22
Id
23
Kumar, Sanjay. “Reforming Indian Electoral Process.” Economic and Political Weekly 37, no. 34 (2002):
3489–91.

21
machinery, from the Election Commission to the BLOs, would be cast in a negative light in
the eyes of voters who were denied the chance to cast a ballot because of a disagreement,
with the presiding officers and polling officers taking the brunt of the blame. The media
provides the essential flavouring to paint the whole electoral system as incompetent and
uncaring towards the people.

Seventh, a significant barrier to electoral roll administration is the absence of technical

assistance in the form of equipment and human resources in outlying districts. There's no
denying that computerising the electoral roll has many advantages, but keeping it running
smoothly can be difficult in areas where there aren't enough IT professionals on hand to fix
problems and where there isn't any back-end support.

There is a wide range of NIC officers' effectiveness. Constant problems with computers and
their accessories make it impossible to meet commission requirements on time. There was a
separate issue with EPIC photography campaigns. Voter photos required transporting a
computer, camera, and UPS from one community to another. Some communities lacked
access to electricity, delaying the process, while others failed to turn out enough voters on
time, adding to costs. Picture swapping, name omission, name duplication, and database
wipeouts were all the result of human and technological blunders. When main data is lost,
the absence of a backup copy may cause a lot of difficulty for district authorities. The
potential advantages of computerization will remain unrealized and perhaps become a
hindrance without adequate technical support for the underlying computer systems.24

Electoral rolls are notoriously difficult to keep up with because of their inherent fluidity.
Each day brings a new set of rolls, making it a dynamic system. The information it provided
may have changed since yesterday. Voters constantly move around and ask that their names
be changed to reflect where they now live. When they turn 18, people may ask to have their
names added to the list. The name of a deceased voter must be removed from the Electoral
Rolls as soon as possible. It's important to account for the possibility that voters would use
other spellings or change their names. It is necessary to find and remove any duplicate or
unnecessary entries. Photos will need to be adjusted to match each other. It is necessary to
listen to, investigate, and ultimately dismiss objections to entries. It has been decided to issue
revised EPICs that reflect the updated information. People who have misplaced their EPICs
will be sent replacements. This is only one illustration of how often the rolls are altered.
Against the background of the issues previously outlined in the preceding paragraphs, it is
24
Id

22
without a doubt an immense undertaking to accomplish these changes properly, on time, and
to the satisfaction of the voters.

CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS

Changes have been made to the Electoral Roll throughout the years. Since their inception,
the rolls have seen several transformations in both appearance and substance. The Election
Commission of India (ECI) has made it a priority, and this work continues to this day, to
modernise and improve the electoral rolls so that they may be used in an honest and reliable
manner to administer elections. The Electoral Rolls, notwithstanding a few minor complaints
here and there, have held up throughout time. This has been shown beyond reasonable doubt
in every election to date.
In spite of setbacks, the Election Commission of India and its constituents at the regional and
local levels have achieved significant progress over the course of many years. The
Commission has presented novel ideas developed in response to these difficulties. The
Commission has mandated that all CEOs and DEOs make the Electoral Roll accessible on
their respective websites. Voters would appreciate being able to verify their information on
the Electoral Roll without leaving the comfort of their homes. This would also aid in the
prompt reporting of any mistakes in the roll. In a similar vein, we have seen the introduction
of helplines, SMS-based enquiry systems, and IVRs.
The Commission's choice to store voters' images in binary format and other information
about them in Unicode in a single database eliminates the possibility of image duplication.
Similarly, the current method will soon be replaced with a centralised database that will allow
for online maintenance and updating of the rolls, which will be a huge step forward in
maintaining accurate and up-to-date Electoral Rolls.
The method of selecting Booth Level Agents (BLAs) by political parties has been
implemented by the Commission to increase the participation of the political parties in the
process of Electoral Roll Management. BLAs would serve a purpose similar to that of BLOs
in that they would aid in the regular maintenance of the Electoral Rolls.
Honoraria for BLOs have recently been revised, and the honorarium has been linked to
performance in an effort to incentivize high-performing officials. The appointment of line
department officials as BLOs is an option, but it is still thought that a dedicated team of
election workers at the booth level would be of far greater assistance.

23
There is minimal room for error in the Election Commission's output due to their constant
monitoring, oversight, and advice. Similar to how the hiring of Election Observers has
improved monitoring at the field level, the appointment of Roll Observers has improved the
efficiency and efficacy of roll management.
The Electoral Rolls are constantly being updated and redefined. Election officials should
make an effort to include interested parties in their work. In order to fulfil its promise to
provide an Electoral Roll that is accurate, genuine, and reliable, and that can earn the faith of
the people of this nation, no effort should be spared. In the world's biggest democracy, this is
easier said than done. However, with the skill, knowledge, and brilliance of the Election
Commission of India, no goal is ever out of reach.

24
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
JOURNALS AND ARTICLES:
1. Katju, Manjari. “Election Commission and Functioning of Democracy.” Economic
and Political Weekly 41, no. 17 (2006): 1635–40.
2. Kumar, Sanjay. “Reforming Indian Electoral Process.” Economic and Political
Weekly 37, no. 34 (2002): 3489–91.
3. “Kashmir Assembly Election: How Free and Fair?” Economic and Political Weekly
38, no. 2 (2003): 101–5.
4. "Role of Election Commission in India issues and challenges", - By Purushotam,
Ranga, Ajay. 2019
5. "Role of election commission in Indian democracy - A critical study of electoral
reforms of India", - By Sivakumar, C L V, A, Subrahmanyam

25