Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Maharashtra SEC Orders Duplicate-Voter Checks, Rules Out VVPAT for Local Polls

Legal constraints prevent VVPAT use, with verification steps set for flagged voters.

Overview

  • Possible duplicate entries in draft or final rolls are marked with a double asterisk and will be verified locally to confirm whether they belong to the same person.
  • Voters with multiple entries must submit a written declaration specifying the single ward or division where they will vote, which bars voting at other polling stations.
  • If a flagged voter arrives on election day without prior response, officials will take a written undertaking that they have not voted elsewhere and permit voting only after strict identity checks.
  • Local body voter lists are sourced from Assembly rolls prepared by the Election Commission of India, which the state commission says it cannot alter.
  • The commission says VVPATs cannot be used under current law for multi-member wards as a technical review remains pending, while opposition parties demand roll corrections and plan protests ahead of polls due by January 2026.