The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently replaced Bihar’s machine-readable draft voter lists with scanned, image-based PDF files — raising fresh concerns over transparency and public accessibility. This change, reported just days earlier, is now drawing sharp criticism from data advocates, election-watch groups, and political leaders.
On Sunday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi escalated the issue, demanding full release of digital voter rolls and launching a grassroots campaign through a new portal called “Vote Chori” to mobilize public scrutiny of the electoral process.
What Triggered the Outcry
The controversy began in early August after the ECI published Bihar’s draft electoral rolls on August 1. These drafts included more than 90,712 polling-part-wise lists containing data on 7.2 crore registered voters.
Initially, these lists were available in digital, machine-readable format — enabling quick search and large-scale data analysis. But between August 6 and August 9, the ECI replaced them with scanned, low-resolution, non-searchable PDF versions. These new files hinder automated checks, slow down data verification, and make independent audits more difficult.
Rahul Gandhi’s “Vote Chori” platform aims to keep public attention on this change and pressure the ECI to restore the digital format for easier public oversight.
Legal Spotlight on the Deleted Voters
The Supreme Court has intervened in the matter, ordering the ECI to publish details of 65 lakh voters who were removed from Bihar’s draft rolls — along with the reasons for their removal, such as death, migration, or duplication. The ECI must submit its response before the next hearing.
Why Format Matters — Beyond Pixels and PDFs
Machine-readable voter lists are essential for a healthy democracy. They allow watchdogs, journalists, and political groups to quickly detect duplicate entries, identify missing voters, and spot unusual patterns. This automation not only saves time but also reduces errors.
Scanned lists, on the other hand, are difficult to process. They require Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and manual corrections — both prone to errors and delays. This shift in format could unintentionally reduce transparency in a crucial period of electoral roll revision.
In Their Defense: ECI’s Position
The Election Commission has dismissed some reports of mass voter roll removals as “fake news” and pointed to its official portal for downloading rolls from all states and union territories. However, this statement does not directly address the Bihar-specific change in file format, which remains the core concern for critics.
Why This Matters Now
- Transparency is most critical during electoral roll revision periods when millions of entries are updated.
- The Supreme Court’s order adds legal pressure on the ECI to justify large-scale deletions.
- Rahul Gandhi’s campaign is amplifying public engagement on the issue.
Conclusion: A Small Change with Big Democratic Stakes
Switching from digital to scanned voter lists might appear minor, but it strikes at the heart of electoral transparency. When voter confidence depends on accessible, verifiable data, the format matters as much as the content.
A balanced approach could involve publishing both formats: digital, machine-readable lists for analysis and scanned archival versions for record-keeping. This would uphold transparency, safeguard privacy, and keep the democratic process open to all.
Source: Toofan Express