News Article:
In a bid to enhance voter convenience and streamline arrangements on polling day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced two major reforms: the provision of mobile deposit facilities near polling stations and the rationalisation of canvassing norms. These changes align with the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
Recognising the widespread use of mobile phones and the difficulties voters—especially senior citizens, women, and persons with disabilities—face in managing their devices on election day, the ECI will now allow designated mobile phone deposit points just outside polling stations. Voters will be required to deposit their mobile phones in simple pigeonhole boxes or jute bags provided near the entrance. Phones must be switched off and cannot be taken inside the polling booth, with exceptions permitted in certain local circumstances as determined by the Returning Officer.
Additionally, the Commission has redefined the permissible canvassing limits to ensure a more orderly polling environment. Canvassing will now be strictly prohibited within a 100-meter radius of polling stations on the day of the vote. Booths set up by candidates to issue unofficial identity slips to voters may now be stationed just beyond this 100-meter boundary, helping maintain electoral decorum while supporting voter identification.
Under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, the ECI continues to innovate within the legal framework to make elections more accessible and voter-friendly.
