The Election Commission (EC) has launched an ‘e-sign’ feature on its ECINet portal and app. Now, anyone registering as a new voter, or applying for corrections or deletions, must verify their identity using an Aadhaar-linked mobile number, the Indian Express reported.
How will the e-sign feature work?
Earlier, applicants could submit forms just by linking a phone number with their voter ID number (EPIC), without any checks to confirm if the number actually belonged to them. The new e-sign feature, seen on the portal from Tuesday, applies to Form 6 (new registration), Form 7 (objection or deletion), and Form 8 (corrections).
Applicants must now ensure their voter ID details match their Aadhaar and that the phone number used is Aadhaar-linked. After filling a form, users are directed to an external portal run by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). There, they must enter their Aadhaar number, receive a one-time password (OTP) on their Aadhaar-linked phone, give consent for verification, and then return to the EC portal to submit the form.
Officials have told IE that this extra step will make misuse of voter details, like what was reported in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, much harder.
Aland case triggered safety checks
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 18, had flagged misuse of online voter deletion forms in Aland, claiming that thousands of applications were filed using voter identities without their knowledge. Many of the phone numbers used for OTP verification did not belong to the actual voters, he had said. In February 2023, EC had also carried an investigation into the Aland case and had lodged an FIR.
Out of 6,018 names targeted for deletion, only 24 were found valid. The rest were rejected after physical verification confirmed the voters still lived at the same addresses.
The EC has constantly maintained that the votes cannot be deleted online by the public. Any deletion requires a proper inquiry and a chance for the voter concerned to be heard.
What is ECINet?
ECINet, launched earlier this year, is a single portal and app that brings together about 40 older Election Commission apps and portals, including ERONet. ERONet was introduced in 2018 as a central platform for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). With ECINet, voters can submit their applications online, and election officials can review and process them. For every case, the Booth Level Officer and the concerned ERO are required to carry out an inquiry.