EC terms reports of ‘ghost voters’ in recent polls incorrect

The Election Commission Saturday described the reports about “ghost voters” in the Lok Sabha polls as incorrect, saying the claims were based on provisional turnout data uploaded on its website.

“The provisional voter turnout data reported on ECIwebsite is only the tentative number of voters and not the final numbers.Therefore, it is incorrect inference to find ghost voters when there arenone,” according to a statement issued by the Commission.

   

The poll panel reacted days after a section of the mediareported that there was discrepancy in the total turnout and the actual numberof electors in some states.

Responding to the reports, the EC said two categories ofvotes are counted to arrive at the final result — those polled in ElectronicVoting Machines (EVMs) and those that are collected through postal ballots fromservice voters and also from the personnel deployed for poll duties outsidetheir constituencies.

“The provisional voter turnout data is displayed aspercentage figure on the Election Commission of India website and VoterHelpline mobile app on the poll day as uploaded by the ReturningOfficer/Assistant Returning Officer based on the approximate percentage turnoutfigures obtained from sector magistrates, who in-turn get it periodically overphone/in person from about 10 presiding officers,” the Commissionsaid.                 After scrutinyof documents by the Returning Officer, provisional number of general voters’turnout is compiled and uploaded on the ECI website based on the pollingstation wise tentative turnout data reported by the presiding officers.”All these figures are provisional, basedon estimates which are subject to change as is made clear from the disclaimeron the website…” it said.

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