Election Commission's cVIGIL app empowers citizens to expose poll code violations, helps authorities take quick action

As the Election Commission of India has announced the dates of polling for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Model Code of Conduct  has come into effect. The Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines for political parties with regard to their meetings, processions, speeches and general conduct till the final votes are counted. Nevertheless, there have been several instances of political parties violating the code. The delay in reporting such cases, however, has often led to candidates escaping without any penalty. Lack of untampered photographic or video evidence has also been a hindrance in verifying the claims of violations. To quickly identify such cases and apprehend the violators, the Election Commission has launched an innovative app called cVIGIL to empower citizens of poll-bound constituencies to report violations of the code of conduct through videos and photos. [caption id=“attachment_6233601” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Election Commission’s cVigil app.[/caption] First launched in July 2018, the app had its pilot run during the recently concluded Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. According to the Election Commission, 68 percent of the over 28,000 complaints were filed using the app. The Election Commission has now released a revamped version of the app ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Easy-to-use application Any Android mobile user, who is connected to high speed internet, can download the cVIGIL app from Google Play Store. However, the application is only compatible with Android versions of Jelly Bean 4.1 and above. The user also needs to give GPS tracking access to the app so the Election Commission can determine the exact location of the wrongdoing. But one cannot use the app till the Model Code of Conduct is applied to their constituency. Users can either log in anonymously or by sharing personal details like their home address, pin code, mobile number, state, district and Assembly constituency. A cVIGIL complaint ID will be generated even if someone chooses to register anonymously, but they won’t be able to track the status of their complaint. On the other hand, a registered user’s details will be transmitted to the servers of the Election Commission, and consequently, the returning officer and field unit/district controller may approach him or her to confirm the details, according to the cVIGIL  user manual. To record any complaint, a user needs to click on the photo/video icon. The app then takes the photo or video depending on the option the user chooses. It must be noted that the app only allows a user to click one photograph and record a video of up to 2 minutes to report an incident. GPS tracking then maps the video or photograph to pinpoint the approximate location of the model code violation. Each photo or video is also stamped with the date, time and location. Citizens have only five minutes to complete the whole process. During the process, they are expected to give details such as additional information about the location and also choose the nature of the poll code violation from a drop-down menu. Additionally, users are given space to describe the incident in detail, if they wish to. After confirming the information, users can submit the complaint. Various poll code violations Citizens can register a complaint on the app for a number of violations, including on candidates distributing money or liquor to influence voters. They can also alert the Election Commission if they find any candidate involved in promoting paid news. Candidates using vehicles or convoys without permission are also in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Transporting voters on the day of polling or political campaigning within 200 meters of the polling booth are strictly prohibited under the guidelines. In addition, candidates are forbidden from campaigning during the one-day gap between the last day of campaigning and the day of polling. Citizens can also register complaints against candidates indulging in communally provocative speeches. Political parties using loud speakers beyond the permitted time, or sticking posters without mandatory declaration, are also in violation of the poll code. Status within 100 minutes The Election Commission has envisaged a 100-minute timeline to act against any violation of the election code. According to the manual, after a user sends the details, the district collector will assign the complaint to a field officer for verification within five minutes. In the next 45 minutes, a field unit will arrive at the venue, take necessary action and submit the report. In the final 50 minutes, the returning officer will check whether the complaint is correct and take necessary action to successfully resolve the case. A registered user can check the status of the complaint by clicking the status option on the menu screen. He or she can also activate the notification feature to get timely updates about the status of the complaint.