Maharashtra CEO seeks more authority for EROs and ECINet software updates

Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S. Chokalingam has formally requested the Election Commission of India to implement changes to the ECINet software and grant more authority to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

In a letter dated September 24, Chokalingam proposed that EROs be given the power to exempt voters from personal hearings if they are satisfied with submitted documentation. He also suggested that the software allow for equivalent or alternative documents when prescribed ones are unavailable.

The request addresses issues regarding ‘Logical Discrepancies’ within the software, where minor differences in names, surnames, or ages when mapping voters to parents or grandparents trigger errors. Chokalingam noted that while EROs, DEOs, and CEOs are legally responsible for voter lists, the ECINet software remains highly centralized under the control of the DG (IT).

These recommendations align with concerns previously raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, fueling reports of internal disagreements within the Commission. Following the CEO's letter, the Election Commission has issued a press release indicating that several changes to ECINet are being considered.