The institution in charge of promoting India’s democratic system is the Election Commission. It was established in 1950 to oversee national elections. The Election Commission’s main office is located in New Delhi, the nation’s capital. The Chief Election Commissioner and two additional election commissioners, who are selected by the president, serve as the three main members of the Election Commission of India. The term of office for each election commissioner is six years.
Each Indian state has a state election commission, one of the subsidiaries of the Election Commission, where people can additionally apply for and collect their voter identification cards.
It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to organize the biggest political activity ever to take place on Earth. There are more than 668 million voters in India, and there are 800,000 voting places nationwide. It is by no means a simple assignment to conduct the general elections while keeping these statistics in mind.
The electoral commission’s duties
The Indian Election Commission must carry out the following key duties:
Ensuring the conduct of fair and free elections Either it is the general election or the elections for the legislative body, the main responsibility of the EC is to organize elections that are free from bias. The election commission’s list of elections includes the following:
- Elections for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
- Elections for the state legislative assembly
- Elections for the president and vice president
- By-elections to the state legislature and parliament
Election Commission: The election commission is in charge of making certain that the list of voters is properly set up for the elections. No voter should be denied the opportunity to cast a ballot in an election after legally registering to do so.
Requisition of employees when necessary: The Election Commission has a responsibility to guarantee the efficient conduct of elections, and if that necessitates requisitioning workers, so be it. The EC may ask the government to requisition personnel from the army, for example, in order to run elections properly and avoid fraud, vote tampering, and other irregularities.
Choosing election observers: The electoral commission must choose election observers to ensure a free and fair election.
Maintaining the election timetable: The chief election commissioner holds a news conference to reveal the election schedule, which is the duty of the election commission. The potential candidates can submit nomination papers when the electoral commission in the region where the votes are being held has implemented a model code of conduct.
The role of a quasi-judge: In order to ensure that the model code of conduct is observed in the area(s) where the votes are taking place, the electoral commission carries out some quasi-judicial duties. When there is any sort of malpractice occurring during the polls, the EC also provides its own input.
Conducting by-elections: Whenever necessary, the election commission is in charge of holding by-elections in any seat.
Electoral cancellation: There are several circumstances in which the electoral commission may be forced to call off the vote, such as when there has been evidence of fraud or other irregularities. The electoral commission must then call for a new election if this occurs.
Recognition of new political parties and the assignment of symbols: The Election Commission of India must first recognize and verify each new political party that is formed. Following its recognition and validation, the electoral commission allots it a symbol that serves as its identification.
Candidate disqualification: If a candidate has not submitted their election returns to the EC by the deadline, the electoral commission may also declare them ineligible. The EC also advises the president to perhaps remove any MLA or MP from office if they are determined to have committed malpractice.
The election commission’s duty is to guarantee that the code of conduct is upheld during the election process and that no misconduct occurs.
Political party observation: During elections, the electoral commission is required to keep an eye on the conduct of political parties.
Information to the media: The electoral commission is obligated to regularly notify the media on the planning, polling, and functioning of the election.