Page 20 - Voting

Uttarakhand HC asks EC if virtual rallies/online voting viable options

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the Election Commission of India whether it is possible to hold election rallies virtually and online voting in the upcoming state assembly polls. A division bench of the High Court comprising acting Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Misra and Justice N S Dhanik posed the question to the EC while hearing a PIL on Wednesday seeking postponement of the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttarakhand in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 and its latest variant Omicron. Besides asking the EC to explore whether it is possible to hold poll rallies virtually, the High Court also asked it whether it would also be possible to provide for online method of voting. It was claimed in the PIL that election rallies are being held in Uttarakhand even though an application is pending before the court relating to finding an alternative to these rallies or to ban them, if need be. While the PIL has been filed seeking postponement of the elections, the High Court has asked the

Exploring tech-based remote voting; political consensus needed for it: EC

The commission had initially explored options with reputed academic institutions for blockchain based internet voting

Voting begins for bypoll to Haryana's Ellenabad Assembly constituency

Voting for the bypoll in Haryana began on Saturday morning, officials said

New voters to get personalised letter from EC along with voter I card

The Election Commission on Thursday unveiled a new initiative to reach out to new voters by sending them a personalised letter along with their voter identity card. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar launched the initiative. The new voters will get a personalised letter from the Commission when they are sent their voter identity cards. The package would include a voter guide for new voters along with a congratulatory letter and a pledge for ethical voting, the Commission said in a statement. The initiative was launched during a two-day SVEEP (Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation) consultation workshop. The agenda of the workshop was to review state SVEEP plans and conduct extensive deliberations on the important aspects of SVEEP for a comprehensive strategy for the forthcoming assembly elections. Addressing the participants, Chandra observed that each voter interacts with the election machinery at two critical stag

Man arrested for hacking EC's portal for issuing voter cards: Police

A 30-year-old man was arrested in Jharkhand's Palamu district on Tuesday for allegedly hacking the Election Commission's portal used for generating voter identity cards, police said. Mukesh Kumar was arrested from Karso village in Chaonpur police station area on a complaint from the EC, they said. He was interrogated by several officers, including Palamu's Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan, officials said. A team of half dozen investigators, comprising police officers and civil officials, are probing the case, they added. The arrested is suspected to be part of a network that has links in several districts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The EC had informed the Palamau district administration that the URL used for generating voter identity cards from a Customer Service Point (CSP) in Chaunpur's Karso area was hacked and fake voter identity cards were made, they said. The EC had given the responsibility of making voter ID cards to a private company, giving it a URL and

HC to hear plea for direction to EC to stop using EVMs, use ballot paper

The court said it will hear in August a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission to stop using electronic voting machine (EVM) and use ballot paper in the forthcoming polls in the country.

US Senate Republicans block legislation on voting rights amid tensions

US Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a sweeping bill to overhaul federal elections, heightening already inflamed tensions over voting rights

Kerala elections: State records over 73% polling by 7 pm, says EC

At least 73.58 per cent of the total 2.74 crore voters exercised their franchise for the state assembly elections according to a preliminary assessment when polling drew to a close at 7 pm in Kerala

Kerala registers 69.95 turnout till 5 pm, 63.47 in Tamil Nadu: EC

The voter turnout in the Kerala assembly polls was 69.95 per cent, 63.47 per cent in Tamil Nadu and 77.90 per cent in Puducherry till 5 pm, the Election Commission said Tuesday.

West Bengal polls 2021 phase two voting: Check schedule, seats, and timings

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is being conducted in eight phases

Postal voting for PwD, Covid patients, people above 80 yrs begins in Assam

Voting by Persons with Disabilities (PwD), Covid infected people and those above the age of 80 using postal ballots began in Assam on Wednesday, election officials said

President Biden marks 'Bloody Sunday' by signing voting rights order

A new executive order from President Joe Biden directs federal agencies to take a series of steps to promote voting access

Election Commission to soon begin mock trials for remote voting: CEC

Mock trails for remote voting facility for electors would begin soon, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora has said.

Blockchain may introduce new problems to voting system, says study

Security risks can persist in Internet- and blockchain-based voting systems, says a study by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

US Election: Biden casts early vote as election day inches closer

As of Wednesday afternoon, over 75 million votes have been cast, which represents more than half the ballots cast during the entirety of the 2016 election cycle

Turkish Cypriots vote to pick leader as stakes soar in Mediterranean

The stakes have soared as a battle over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean has intensified over the last year

No postal ballot facility for voters above 65 in Bihar polls, says Govt

Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad said the decision has been taken in view of the constraints related to logistics, manpower and safety protocols for Covid-19

Letter to BS: Make voting foolproof by inducting blockchain technology

Since we are living in a constantly changing world, we should use technology as much as possible and use the advantages that blockchain-based voting offers

Delhi votes in late overs, clocks over 55% turnout as it waits for results

Turnout was low through the day but picked up in the evening, compared to 67.12 per cent turnout in the city's elections in 2015. Votes will be counted on February 11, Tuesday

Jharkhand, Karnataka polls: How to vote, find polling booth, and other FAQs

From how to check voter information online to how to find polling booth nearest you - here are answers to some frequently asked questions by voters in India