Latest news with #ModelCodeofConduct
India Today
9 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Cameras, courts and confidentiality: Inside Election Commission's 45-day rule
While one is hearing whispers from many quarters that videos from the polling stations should be made available, sources with the Election Commission have told India today that this is VOTER SECRECY COMES FIRST - ECIThe Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a firm stance:It will not yield to political privacy and security are will not be released publicly except under court secrecy is a constitutional guarantee, protected under Section 128 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Any violation of this confidentiality is a punishable offence, inviting imprisonment, fines, or FOOTAGE: WHY IT'S STORED AND WHY IT CAN'T BE SHARED Despite mounting pressure from political parties and advocacy groups, polling station footage will not be made public, sources within the Election Commission told India video recordings related to polling are preserved for 45 days after election results are declared in line with the statutory window for filing an Election Petition (EP) under Indian such a petition is filed, the footage is retained until the legal proceedings conclude and may be submitted in court if EXACTLY GETS RECORDED?The Election Commission deploys video surveillance and webcasting extensively to uphold transparency and accountability throughout the election process. Recordings cover:EVM checking and storageMovement and transport of voting machinesActivities inside and outside polling stations on voting dayThe counting processCampaign events and public ralliesadvertisementThis system allows the EC to track expenditures, ensure compliance with the Model Code of Conduct, and address any electoral violations PUBLIC SHARING OF THIS FOOTAGE IS PROBLEMATICDespite its critical role in election monitoring, this footage is not intended for public release. Calls to make it public, although framed as transparency demands, are both misleading and dangerous, the EC cautions. Key Risks Include:Threat to Voter PrivacyPolling footage can unintentionally disclose:Identities of voters entering of individual about voter turnout or access to such data can lead to:Voter profilingTargeted harassment or intimidationRetaliation in areas with low or 'undesirable' turnoutSources in the EC stress that such risks strike at the heart of free and fair LEGAL SHIELD: SECRECY AND THE COURTSSupreme Court Precedent: Right Not to Vote = Right to PrivacyIn the landmark case People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (2013), the Supreme Court ruled that:Citizens have the right not to right is covered under the right to the act of abstaining from voting must be kept non-voters could expose them to coercion, pressure, or social discrimination, all of which are = A 'LIVE' FORM 17AadvertisementElection footage effectively mirrors Form 17A, a sensitive record maintained at polling stations that logs:Voter arrival roll from polling stations captures similar details, making it equivalent to a 'live' version of Form Rule 93(1) of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, Form 17A is protected from public access and can only be examined under court supervision. Since video footage captures similar data, its public release without legal sanction is equally OF MISUSE: A REAL POSSIBILITYMaking this footage publicly accessible can have severe consequences:Political actors may identify and target voters who didn't support may face harassment, inducement, or social can be edited or misused, fuelling conspiracy theories and prevent such scenarios, the EC discourages footage retention beyond 45 days unless a legal challenge necessitates MEANT FOR INTERNAL OVERSIGHT, NOT PUBLIC DISTRIBUTIONWebcasting serves as a real-time monitoring mechanism for the EC, helping prevent malpractice and streamline election its purpose is strictly a court requires this footage during an election petition, the EC will provide it with full assurance that judicial processes also safeguard voter Watch
India Gazette
14 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand to be held in two phases on July 10 and 15": State Election Commissioner
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 21 (ANI): Uttarakhand State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar on Saturday said that Panchayat elections 2025 will be held in two phases across 12 districts, except Haridwar. He also said that the first phase of the 2025 Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand will be held on July 10, followed by the second phase on July 15. Speaking to ANI, Sushil Kumar said, 'In Uttarakhand, with the exception of the Haridwar district, a notification has been issued for the three-tier Panchayat elections 2025 across 12 districts. The counting of votes will occur on 19 July 2025, and the results will be announced thereafter.' Nominations will be accepted from June 25 to 28, and the Model Code of Conduct is now in effect across the state. 'The schedule is as follows: District Officers will release their notification on 23 June, and the nomination process will take place from 25 June to 28 June. Elections will occur in two phases. The first voting phase will be held on the 10th of July, and the second phase will be held on the 15th of July. Thus, the Model Code of Conduct will be effective in the state,' Kumar said. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the Yoga Sangam program with representatives of eight countries on the occasion of International Day of Yoga 2025 at Gairsain Assembly Complex in Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand. Ambassadors and diplomats of Nepal, Mexico, Latvia, Fiji, Suriname, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Russia were the special guests of this Yoga Sangam program. Addressing the gathering, CM Dhami said, 'I am delighted that on International Day of Yoga today, we are blessed with the presence of all of you (foreign delegates and guests). Your graceful presence has provided a global reputation to this event.' He also emphasised the worldwide enthusiasm for the yoga movement, saying, '...Across the world, International Yoga Day 2025 is being celebrated with great fervour today. In this connection, Yoga was performed here in the presence of Swami Bharat Bhushan and delegates from eight has sent a message that this will open doors to multiple possibilities on our land of Yoga and Ayush.' (ANI)
The Print
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
Panchayat polls in Uttarakhand to be held on July 10
Kumar said the nominations for the polls will begin on June 25 and the last date for filing nominations will be June 28. Issuing the notification for the panchayat polls, State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar said the polling will be held on July 10 and the counting on July 19. Dehradun, Jun 21 (PTI) The three-tier panchayat elections in Uttarakhand will be held on July 10, an official on Saturday said. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place from June 29 to July 1 and the symbols will be allotted on July 3, he added. With the notification of the panchayat polls, the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect and will remain in force till the declaration of the results, said the state election commissioner. The panchayat elections are to be held in 12 districts of Uttarakhand. PTI ALM AS AS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
"Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand to be held in two phases on July 10 and 15": State Election Commissioner
Uttarakhand State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar on Saturday said that Panchayat elections 2025 will be held in two phases across 12 districts, except Haridwar. He also said that the first phase of the 2025 Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand will be held on July 10, followed by the second phase on July 15. Speaking to ANI, Sushil Kumar said, "In Uttarakhand, with the exception of the Haridwar district, a notification has been issued for the three-tier Panchayat elections 2025 across 12 districts. The counting of votes will occur on 19 July 2025, and the results will be announced thereafter." Nominations will be accepted from June 25 to 28, and the Model Code of Conduct is now in effect across the state. "The schedule is as follows: District Officers will release their notification on 23 June, and the nomination process will take place from 25 June to 28 June. Elections will occur in two phases. The first voting phase will be held on the 10th of July, and the second phase will be held on the 15th of July. Thus, the Model Code of Conduct will be effective in the state," Kumar said. Live Events Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the Yoga Sangam program with representatives of eight countries on the occasion of International Day of Yoga 2025 at Gairsain Assembly Complex in Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand. Ambassadors and diplomats of Nepal, Mexico, Latvia, Fiji, Suriname, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Russia were the special guests of this Yoga Sangam program. Addressing the gathering, CM Dhami said, "I am delighted that on International Day of Yoga today, we are blessed with the presence of all of you (foreign delegates and guests). Your graceful presence has provided a global reputation to this event." He also emphasised the worldwide enthusiasm for the yoga movement, saying, "...Across the world, International Yoga Day 2025 is being celebrated with great fervour today. In this connection, Yoga was performed here in the presence of Swami Bharat Bhushan and delegates from eight has sent a message that this will open doors to multiple possibilities on our land of Yoga and Ayush." Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
EC cuts storage time of poll videos, photos to 45 days, cites ‘misuse'
The Election Commission (EC) has revised its guidelines on preserving video footage and photographs of elections — reducing the retention period to 45 days after the declaration of results, after which the data can be destroyed if no election petition is filed. The poll watchdog communicated its decision to all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in the states on May 30, citing 'recent misuse' of such material. The Commission underlined that videography and photography of the election process are not mandated by law but are used as an 'internal management tool'. '… recent misuse of this content by non-contestants for spreading misinformation and malicious narratives on social media by selective and out-of-context use of such content, which will not lead to any legal outcome, has prompted a review,' the EC wrote in its fresh instructions to all CEOs. This marks a departure from the earlier instructions issued on September 6, 2024, which had laid out specific timelines — ranging from three months to a year — for storing video footage from different stages of the election process. Under the earlier guidelines, footage from the pre-nomination period was to be retained for three months, while recordings from the nomination stage, campaign period, polling (inside and outside polling stations), and counting were to be preserved for periods varying between six months and one year, depending on the phase. According to EC sources, the new instructions align the time for storing the footage with the 45-day window for filing election petitions. The instructions would be prospective, they said. In case an election petition is filed, the footage would be stored till the completion of the case. The EC spokesperson did not respond to The Indian Express's email seeking comment on the latest decision. The election process — from the checking of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to their storage and movement on polling and counting days, and up to the counting of results — is covered by video and photography. The polling process inside stations is monitored through live webcasting. Campaign activities, too, are recorded to track candidates' expenditure and monitor possible violations of the Model Code of Conduct. This is the second significant change made by the EC in recent months pertaining to CCTV footage of the election process. In December last year, the government amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Elections Rules to limit public access to such footage. Earlier, Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, stated that 'all other papers relating to the election shall be open to public inspection'. The amended version of the rule now states: 'All other papers as specified in these rules relating to the election shall be open to public inspection.' This amendment, sources in the EC had told The Indian Express, would effectively clarify that electronic footage of the polling process is not covered within the definition of election papers and hence not open to public scrutiny. The argument was that providing CCTV footage would amount to violation of secrecy of vote and open it up to potential misuse using artificial intelligence. The December 2024 amendment was made by the Law Ministry in consultation with the EC just two weeks after the Punjab and Haryana High Court, acting on a petition filed by advocate Mehmood Pracha, directed the Commission to release election papers and videography related to the Haryana Assembly elections. Speaking to The Indian Express on the latest set of instructions on preservation of CCTV footage of the election process, Pracha said: 'The EC has itself admitted that EVMs are made safe by following a robust protocol that makes the elections free and fair. They have said so in my case in the High Court and in the Association for Democratic Reforms case in the Supreme Court. All we are saying is that we want to see whether the protocols are being followed, with our own eyes, by looking at the CCTV footage.' Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu's national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More
