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Election Commission Addresses Voter ID Duplication Concerns Nationwide

Why in the News?

The Election Commission acknowledged duplicate voter ID numbers across States due to manual errors and pledged to rectify them using ERONET. Political parties, including Trinamool Congress, alleged election fraud, accusing the BJP of manipulating voter lists.

About Voter ID Duplication Issue:

• Reports emerged of identical voter ID numbers assigned to different electors across States.
• The Election Commission (EC) clarified that voters can only cast ballots in their designated polling station, regardless of their EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Card) number.
• The EC acknowledged manual errors in the past, which led to duplicate EPIC numbers being issued.

EC’s Response and Corrective Measures

• The EC assured that each voter would be assigned a unique EPIC number to eliminate duplication.
• The manual process previously used resulted in the same EPIC alphanumeric series being issued in different States.
• The transition to ERONET, a centralized web-based electoral database, will prevent future errors by streamlining voter registration and data management.

Political Reactions and Allegations

• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP was manipulating voter lists by adding names from other States.
• The Trinamool Congress (TMC) claimed that the EC’s admission confirmed their accusations of election fraud.
• The EC denied political bias and stated that errors were due to previous decentralized data management rather than deliberate manipulation.

The issue underscores the importance of accurate electoral data and the need for technological upgrades to ensure fair elections.