Science & Technology
Facial Recognition for Elections
- 03 Feb 2020
- 2 min read
Why in News
In the upcoming Telangana urban local bodies polls, the State Election Commission (SEC) will be using a facial recognition app for verification and real-time authentication of voters on the pilot basis in 10 selected polling stations.
- The use of facial recognition for election will be a first-of-its-kind in India.
- It will help to counter impersonation by voters during polling.
Key Points
- The initiative will be implemented in Kompally Municipality of Medchal Malkajgiri district of Telangana.
- The facial recognition is proposed as an additional tool to validate the identity of the voter in addition to the existing procedures prescribed including use of photo electoral rolls, the insistence of photo ID proof in addition to the personal scrutiny by the polling agents appointed by the contesting candidates.
- Proposed Procedure:
- The additional polling officer-in-charge of the mobile phone will work with a facial recognition system.
- The app will display results of the verification based on the match established with the voters with an appropriate message.
- However, non verification from this procedure shall not be a sufficient ground to deny voting rights to any voter and it needs to be accompanied by the existing identification systems.
- Further, the photographs taken will not be stored or used for any other purpose. These photographs will be erased from the memory of the mobile phone used in the polling station and also the server of TSTS (Telangana State Technology Services).
