Creating history: Gujarat polls may be fully computer-aided

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Assembly elections next month may go down in the history of the democratic process in the country as the first fully computer-aided elections, a top official said. “This is the first time that any election, right from the stage of preparing and updating voters’ rolls to the final results, will be conducted with the extensive aid and support of computers and electronics,” Chief Election Officer Vijay Nehra said. With constant guidance, directives and monitoring by the Election Commission, state election apparatus has been using computers and software in almost every minor and major process, related to the Assembly elections in the state. [caption id=“attachment_513151” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] “At every step, we are constantly taking extensive help of the software, which has been developed specifically for the purpose of effective and speedy electioneering,” Nehra said. For the polling in 182 Assembly seats, voting will take place on 13 and 17 December and 3.8 crore voters are expected to take part in it. Election Commission has developed a software called Electronic Roll Management System (ERMS) for the whole process of elections. “With the help of this software we have not only achieved 100 per cent Photo Identity cards to every registered voters but it is being used for different election related functions too,” he added. This software gives search and advance search options for any electorate related queries which can expedite the various processes and bring the effectiveness, he said. Apart from preparing and updating electoral rolls, issuing photo identity cards, election officials in each districts will use assignment of Electronic Voting Machine to every constituency. “Computers will pick EVMs randomly for a constituency down to every booth in it. Since only computers will be deciding which EVM will go to a particular polling booth, it can remove any chance of tampering with the EVM,” an official said. Not only that, computer software is being used for postal ballot of those people, who will be on election duty during the time of voting. “Previously, filing up of Form-12 for postal ballot was so complex that hardly 2-3 per cent could avail this facility.But now, before assigning anyone to the election duty we are getting his voter ID number and just entering that number we can generate his Form-12,” Nehra said. Similarly, people who will be in election duty, will get their wage or honorarium paid directly to their respective Bank Accounts and even SMS will also be sent to their registered mobiles. PTI