The electronic-savvy AP government is making the conduct of elections in local bodies going to be made even easier, as it is bringing the entire process into electronic format. The process of preparing software and mobile applications related to this under the auspices of the Center for Good Governance has reached the final stage.
The coalition government has initiated these services in the local body elections. From the preparation of voters’ lists to the withdrawal of nominations, from the conduct of polling to the election results, electronic services will soon be available.
The State Election Commission hopes that through these, time, cost and human intervention in the conduct of elections will be saved. District officials will no longer need to come to the State Election Commission headquarters in Vijayawada for the voter lists required for the conduct of elections in gram panchayats and municipal corporations and city panchayats. Voter lists of 175 assembly constituencies are being uploaded on the State Election Commission portal.
Five servers have been specially allocated for this in the State Data Center. The lists of assembly constituency voters can be downloaded and divided into wards in panchayats, towns, cities and city panchayats. The lists of voters related to panchayats are approved by the district panchayat officers and commissioners in towns and cities. Elections are conducted with these lists.
Those who want to contest in local body elections will now have the opportunity to file nominations online from their homes. Candidates will no longer have to fear that their opponents will come and obstruct them or resort to physical attacks. Nominations can be filed online from wherever they are through the software application developed by the State Election Commission.
The candidate should print a copy of the nomination, which will be converted into PDF format, sign it and submit it to the election officer in person within the specified time. Nominations can be withdrawn online. The officials will post the details of the scrutiny of nominations and the final list of candidates in the contest online.
A mobile application has been developed to provide comprehensive information about the polling process from time to time. Election officials will upload information related to every issue from the beginning to the end of polling in the mobile application.
Election officials and collectors will take immediate action based on the details recorded, from polling percentage to undesirable incidents. Several portals and modules have also been developed as part of e-services. From polling station details to nomination registration, from postal ballot to election results, one can find out through these.
These are being linked to the State Election Commission website. The voter portal will provide an opportunity to know the details of polling stations, photo voter slip download, details of contesting candidates, and election results. Services such as online filing of nominations, applications for various permissions, polling, and appointment of voter counting agents will be available on the portal of political parties and candidates.
In the Postal Ballot Module, officers, employees and other categories on election duty can apply for postal votes. From the Election Observer Module, reports will be taken from time to time by observers appointed by the State Election Commission and the conditions on polling day will be reviewed from time to time.
In the Complaints Module, an opportunity will be provided to register complaints and receive requests from political parties and the public on the conduct of elections.
