The Electoral Commission releases voter turnout data in the first five phases amid rows

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday released the absolute number of voters in the first five phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This release marks an expansion of the voter turnout data format. The research body said it felt “duly strengthened” by the Supreme Court’s recent decision not to hear an application ordering the Commission to publish final voter turnout data at all polling stations on its website.

“The Commission feels duly strengthened by the observations and verdict of the Honorable Supreme Court on the process of sharing voter turnout data by the Election Commission of India,” the ECI said in a statement today.

This new format takes into account the absolute number of voters in each parliamentary constituency, ensuring that the number of votes cast cannot be changed.

This development comes after the Opposition questioned the delays caused by the EC in publishing the final data on voter turnout after the first and second votes, alleging discrepancies. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the “credibility” of the Election Commission is “at an all-time low”.

In response, the Commission reiterated that its process for collecting and storing votes is rigorous, transparent and participatory. He added that there was a “pattern of false narratives and malicious intent intended to distort the electoral process.”

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“The Commission and its officials in all states disseminate voter turnout data in the best manner possible given statutory considerations,” the Commission said in a statement.

The European Citizens’ Initiative details the process of recording and sharing voter turnout data:

Final Voter List: Shared with candidates once finalized.

Form 17C: Authorized agents are provided with this form for each polling station to ensure transparency.

Inviolable records: Votes recorded in Form 17C cannot be changed.

Secure Transportation: Agents accompany EVMs and statutory documents including Form 17C to secure shortfalls.

Verification: Candidates or their agents verify the details provided in Form 17C at computing centers.

The European Citizens’ Initiative highlighted the continued availability of voter turnout data through the Voter Turnout App. “Voter turnout data was always available 24/7 on the Voter Turnout app from 9:30 a.m. on polling day at each stage,” the research body said. The app publishes turnout estimates every two hours on polling days and updates them continuously after voting ends, providing a best estimate of when voting will end by midnight.

The Commission explained that different media organizations report attendance data at different times, which may lead to the impression of delay. “Once the arrival of electoral parties, depending on geographical and weather conditions, voter data becomes final on P+1, P+2, P+3 or more, depending on the arrival of the parties and the number of re-elections, if any,” the Commission said.

The European Citizens’ Initiative has made several recent improvements, including updating the voter turnout app to include aggregate turnout data across phases, enabling screenshots on the Android version of the app, sharing voter data by constituency, and sharing voter turnout data around 11 p.m. :45 hours on voting day.

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