NEW DELHI: Digital version of electoral photo identity card (EPIC), e-filing of nominations, exploring new voting methods to ensure participation of migrant voters who remain registered at their previous locations and bringing print and social media under the ambit of 48-hour ‘silence period’ are some of the key recommendations made by nine working groups set up by the Election Commission after the 2019 general election to suggest improvement in electoral management.

EC had constituted these working groups — comprising senior Commission officials and state chief electoral officers — to collate election-related inputs from the field, analyse them in the context of legal and institutional frameworks and suggest pathways for future to add value to the electoral process. Based on reports presented by the working groups last month, the Commission has now put 25 key recommendations in the public domain and invited comments/suggestions from all stakeholders by March 31.

Among the recommendations is providing e-EPIC to each voter. “In the digital environment, it is recommended to have e-version of EPIC for the voters for better mobility,” the EC said. The working groups have also sought integration of voter registration process with citizen-facing services like DigiLocker and UMANG so that necessary documents, maintained by citizens in DigiLocker and UMANG, may be uploaded/connected easily for purposes of registration.

The working groups favoured a single and simplified form for all voter services like registration, change of address, deletion of names — for which different forms must be filled at present. They have also prescribed online registration of prospective voters at 17 years in schools and colleges. Also, multiple qualifying dates for voter registration on attaining 18 years of age have been sought, with EC suggesting four different dates at the beginning of each quarter and the law ministry wanting to limit this to two (January 1 and July 1) in a year.

An important recommendation relates to exploring possibility and feasibility of different voting methods that are secure for enhanced electoral participation. While absentee voters can currently vote via one-way electronic postal ballot, this facility is limited to force personnel and staff of Indian missions abroad. The working groups have proposed that other methods, including remote voting on a secured EC device to be deployed at “national polling stations”, be explored to enable migrant voters who are away from their constituency on polling date, to vote from where they are. This will facilitate inclusion of around 30% voters who do not participate in elections due to various reasons.

Another recommendation on which suggestions are invited is bringing print and social media under the ambit of Section 126 of Representation of the People Act, which currently bars only electronic media from covering campaigning during 48 hours prior to end of polling.

It has been suggested that online facility be started for filing of nomination by candidates to help avoid errors and ease the nomination process.

The working groups have favoured a cap on political party expenditure. EC had earlier suggested to the law ministry to cap such expenditure at product of half of maximum prescribed limit for individual candidates and number of candidates fielded.

