Congress has questioned the 1.07 crore increase in voting by citing the difference between the numbers updated on EC‘s app on the day of polling and the final turnout data. Officials who refused to speak on record by saying that the matter was pending in Supreme Court, said it was wrong to take the numbers on polling day, as distinct from those made available the following day, as the basis, for the simple reason that details of voting from remote polling stations were rarely in on that day.
Going by the updated turnout figures, both in absolute and percentage terms, figures were not very different from the “final” ones released by the commission, they said. For example, in the first phase, the overall voting percentage increased from 63.5% on polling day (April 19) to 66.1% the next day. The final voting was the same as the percentage.
The trend was the same in the first three phases while in the fourth, the final voting rose marginally to 69.2% compared to the figure of 68.9%. In this phase, maximum increase was recorded in the updated data. Sources said this was because of high turnout later in the day as polling had to be extended in several polling stations.
Officials cited data from 2019 to counter claims of a high level of revision. In all the phases in 2019, the gap between the number released at the evening press conference on polling day and the final numbers released by EC ranged between 1.5% and 3.4%.
“All these years, turnout data has been updated on the second day after all polling parties provide the exact number of people who voted in each polling booth. After completing polling at booths, poll parties come to the returning officer concerned with Form 17C, which contains the exact number of votes cast. EVMs and Form 17C are kept in strong rooms. This is a physical activity,” said an EC source.
In the 2019 elections, the voting percentage was updated 5-6 days after the day of polling in every phase and there was also an increase.
The source said in some cases, the process got completed by late afternoon the day after polling and by night, EC’s voter turnout app reflects the latest poll percentage. “There is no question of any change or increase in the total turnout at each polling station as the details are recorded in Form 17C and the polling agents get signed copies of this form,” the official said.
