1 day ago
ECINet Officials Defend Decentralised System Amid Voter Roll Questions
The Election Commission says ECINet is a computer system used by election officials across India.
Different officials, such as booth officers and district election officers, use their own passwords to do their legal work.
The Commission says headquarters staff cannot perform those jobs for them.
However, the Commission centrally protects the system from cyberattacks.
Officials said there were about 68 lakh attempted attacks on one counting day.
In Goa, an officer accidentally rejected claims from 97 eligible voters and could not undo the action because the software had no rollback button.
Officials said the voters could seek help from a higher election authority.
The Commission also defended an extra declaration asked from some new voters along with Form 6.
Some reports said Election Commissioners questioned whether this could legally be done without changing election rules, while Commission officials cited a Supreme Court judgment supporting the process.
Election officials said ECINet allows only designated BLOs, AEROs, EROs, DEOs and CEOs to perform their statutory functions using unique credentials.
The Election Commission provides central cybersecurity for ECINet and cited about 68 lakh malicious attempts on an assembly-election counting day.
Officials said ERONET has been integrated into ECINet, while reports highlighted the inability to reverse the deletion of 97 eligible voters in Goa.
The Commission defended an additional declaration linked to Form 6, saying it was unanimously approved for Special Intensive Revision exercises and did not amend Form 6 itself.
Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu were reported to have questioned the legality of the change, while officials cited a Supreme Court judgment supporting the revision process.
- Who
- Election Commission of India officials, designated election officers, Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, and voters affected in Goa.
- What
- The Election Commission defended ECINet as decentralised and defended an additional declaration connected to Form 6 during Special Intensive Revision.
- Where
- The issue concerns ECINet and electoral-roll work in India, including Special Intensive Revision exercises in Goa and Bihar.
- When
- The clarification was issued on Thursday, September 24; officials also cited a June 24, 2025 Bihar order and a May 27 Supreme Court judgment.
- Why
- The Commission responded to concerns about database centralisation, access by officials, the inability to reverse 97 voter deletions in Goa, and the legality of the additional declaration.
Commission officials’ position
Reported concerns and objections
Control of ECINet
Commission officials’ position
Officials said ECINet is decentralised and that only designated election officers can perform their statutory functions; headquarters officials cannot do so.
Reported concerns and objections
Reports cited concerns from Election Commissioners about the gradual centralisation of the electoral-roll database and access available to state officials.
Goa voter deletions
Commission officials’ position
Officials attributed the exclusion of 97 voters to an ERO’s mistaken selection of the “not satisfied” option and said the voters could appeal to the sub-divisional magistrate.
Reported concerns and objections
A report said Goa officials repeatedly sought a rollback option from senior authorities, but it was not enabled before the final roll was published, leaving the 97 voters excluded.
Additional Form 6 declaration
Commission officials’ position
Officials said the declaration was unanimously approved, was included in successive SIR orders, did not amend Form 6, and was supported by a Supreme Court judgment.
Reported concerns and objections
The reported positions of Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said Form 6 could not be changed through SIR instructions without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, with Sandhu describing the reported change as unauthorised and illegal.
Key facts
- Platform
- ECINet, described by officials as a decentralised election platform
- Designated users
- BLOs, AEROs, EROs, DEOs and CEOs use unique IDs and passwords to perform statutory functions
- Cybersecurity
- Central cybersecurity protection is provided by the Election Commission
- Reported attack attempts
- About 68 lakh malicious attempts were cited on an assembly-election counting day earlier this year
- Goa voter issue
- An ERO mistakenly rejected claims from 97 eligible voters, and the software did not allow the action to be rolled back
- Form 6 declaration
- Officials said an additional declaration was introduced during Special Intensive Revision without amending Form 6
- Legal basis cited
- Officials referred to a May 27 Supreme Court judgment concerning the legality of the Special Intensive Revision
Quotes
An Election Commission official
An official explaining ECINet’s limits on statutory functions
“These 97 voters had gone to the ERO, who heard them. But on the ECINet app, he mistakenly clicked the ‘not satisfied’ option, which led to rejection of their claims.”
deccanchronicle.com
“ECINet is a decentralised platform designed in accordance with the RP Act, 1950, RP Act, 1951, and instructions issued by the ECI from time to time.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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