Rapid Fire
SC's Concern Over Voter Limit Increase
- 04 Dec 2024
- 2 min read
Recently, Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna emphasised that "no voter should be turned down," indicating the court's commitment to ensuring accessible voting for all citizens.
- Earlier, Election Commission of India (ECI) has pushed the maximum limit per polling station from 1,200 (in rural) and 1,400 (urban) to a uniform 1,500 voters, which has raised concerns regarding potential disenfranchisement.
- A petition challenged the ECI's decision, arguing that it would lead to overcrowded polling stations and longer wait times.
- A voter takes around 90 seconds to cast their vote, allowing 45 voters per hour. Over 11 hours, a polling station can accommodate only 495 voters (660 voters with maximum efficiency).
- The petition highlights that ECI's rationale for increasing the limit lacks fresh data like updated census.
- Rules for Setting up Polling Station:
- Representation of People Act, 1951 mandates the Election Commission to provide for a ‘sufficient number of polling stations for every constituency’.
- A polling station should be located so that voters typically travel no more than 2 kilometers to vote, with exceptions for sparsely populated hilly or forest areas.
- ECI Programs to Increase Voter Turnouts:
- SVEEP
- Voter Helpline App
Read More: Increasing Voter Turnouts
