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Goa EC puts bogus voters on the defensive

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Following the encouraging response to the state election commission's order asking Goan voters to carry documentary evidence of their identity when they went voting in the recently held zilla panchayat elections, the SEC is now considering to extend the diktat to other elections too.

State Election Commissioner Prabhakar Timble, however, told rediff.com that the proposal would be debated in several fora before its implementation.

It was for the first time in the country that carrying some proof of one's identity to the polling booth was made mandatory in an election. The voters were asked to furnish the proof if and when an electoral officer or an agent raised an objection.

"We had learnt that voters generally carried such documents on them fearing some problem at the last moment that would prevent them from voting. We just extended this to everyone, thus putting the bogus voters on the defensive,'' said Timble.

The result was there for everyone to see. There were no long queues outside polling booths early in the morning and half an hour before the ballot boxes were sealed - generally considered the best time to cast a bogus vote.

One reason why the exercise was such a huge success is probably the high literacy rate of this coastal state. The SEC too, to its credit, had unleashed a blitzkrieg of advertisements to educate people about the order. 'Will you let a stranger take such an important decision for you? Guard against impersonation': said one such spot.

Voters were asked to produce any documentary proof of their identity when asked to do so at the polling booth. This could be their voter I-card, passport, driving licence, PAN card, student I-card or ration card. Not all, however, were asked to produce the identity proof. The demand was made only in cases where there was a reasonable scope for suspicion.

However, Timble now wants to make it mandatory for everyone to produce such proof before he/she is handed over the ballot paper.

"We could use it more effectively for municipal elections, to be held by May end. Urban areas have more floating population and correspondingly higher bogus voting,'' Timble said.

He is happy that the Election Commission of India has decided to implement the formula for the assembly elections in Haryana. "It is heartening to know that voters are aware of these issues,'' he said.

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