Uploading 'Form 17C' (Record Of Votes Polled) Can Lead To Mischief: ECI Responds To SC On Release Of Votes Polled

In its response to an application seeking to upload copies of Form 17C (Records of the number of votes polled in a booth), the Election Commission of India (ECI) today told the Supreme Court that uploading Form 17C on the website can lead to “mischief and vitiation of entire electoral space,” Live Law reports. 

Submitting its response to the top court”s direction, the poll body claimed that there are possibilities of images being morphed, which can create widespread discomfort and mistrust in the election process. The Commission noted that at present, the original Form 17C is only available in the strong room, and a copy with the polling agents whose signature it bears. 

“It is submitted that indiscriminate disclosure, public posting on the website, increases the possibility of the images being morphed, including the counting results which then can create widespread public discomfort and mistrust in the entire electoral process,” the EC said. 

On May 17, the Supreme Court had given one week time to the Election Commission of India(ECI) to file its response to the application demanding the disclosure of the absolute number of votes polled in the ongoing elections soon after the exercise. 

The application was filed jointly by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause. It argued that it asked the disclosure to bolster voter confidence in the democratic process. “It’s necessary for the Election Commission to disclose on its website the number of votes polled within 48 hours of polling,” the petitioner stated.

The application had pointed out that the voter turnout data for the first two phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was released only after 11 days of the first phase held on May 19. The application also noted the big increase in the percentage on the final date released by the EC compared to the initial date on the votes polled on the day. The application questioned the inordinate delay and the data discrepancy by the poll body. 

Notably, the Congress party today questioned the big difference between the real-time voter turnout data and the final figures released by the Election Commission. The party also stated that the voters are worried over the “strange goings-on” in the ECI. The Congress leader Pawan Khera also termed the “big difference” in the voter turnout data as unprecedented.