In a significant move towards improving the integrity of India’s electoral process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has successfully addressed a long-standing issue concerning duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs). This problem, which had persisted for nearly two decades, arose from the erroneous issuance of similar EPIC numbers to genuine voters due to the use of different alphanumeric series by various Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) since 2005.
To tackle this legacy issue, the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across all 36 States and Union Territories undertook an extensive examination of the national electoral database, which encompasses over 990 million electors. The effort included a meticulous review of records from all 4,123 assembly constituencies and 10.5 lakh polling stations throughout the country.
On average, each polling station houses approximately 1,000 electors, making the search both extensive and intricate.Remarkably, the investigation revealed that the occurrence of similar EPIC numbers was minuscule, averaging about one case per four polling stations. During field-level verification, it was confirmed that individuals holding these similar EPIC numbers were indeed legitimate voters residing in different assembly constituencies and polling stations. Consequently, all affected electors have been issued new EPIC cards with unique numbers, reinforcing the integrity of the electoral process.
The origins of the duplicate EPIC issue can be traced back to 2005, when various states and union territories adopted decentralized practices, employing distinct alphanumeric series for different assembly constituencies. In 2008, following the delimitation of constituencies, these series were scheduled for revision but some assembly constituencies erroneously continued to use outdated series or made typographical errors that resulted in assignments of series from other constituencies.It is important to note that despite the existence of similar EPIC numbers, no voter was able to cast a ballot at any polling station other than their designated one.
This constraint ensured that the integrity of election outcomes remained intact, as the similar EPIC numbers did not grant any undue advantages during the voting process.With this proactive step, the ECI not only rectifies a long-standing oversight but also enhances the voting experience for millions of citizens. The successful resolution of this issue marks a pivotal moment in ensuring that the electoral rolls remain accurate and up-to-date, thereby strengthening democracy in India.
