WHY ARE ELECTORAL REFORMS NECESSARY?

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Daily News Analysis POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

EC and political parties must enhance electoral integrity by verifying EVM and VVPAT reliability, eliminating duplicate voter IDs, and linking Aadhaar. Reforms should enforce campaign finance, disqualify candidates with criminal records, and ensure MCC compliance. Greater transparency and public trust in electoral processes are imperative for a fairer, corruption‑free democracy.

Last Updated on 20th March, 2025

4 minutes, 47 seconds

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Copyright infringement not intended Context: The Election Commission (EC) invited political parties to discuss strategies to improve the electoral process. Background The core issues are centred around Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems. EVMs have been used across the country since the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, and VVPAT was introduced in 2019. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed to revert to paper ballots and demanded 100% VVPAT-EVM matching, though the Supreme Court dismissed these demands. The court directed verification of the burnt memory of microcontrollers in 5% of EVMs if tampering is suspected. Concerns include the potential for voter anonymity issues and the statistical reliability of current sampling methods for vote verification. How to address issues related to electoral rolls? The Election Commission must eliminate duplicate voter ID numbers across states and ensure unique Electors Photo Identity Card (EP...

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