In a landmark ruling, the Kerala High Court has ordered the State Election Commission to ensure proper seating, drinking water, and a queue management system at polling booths. The Court also suggested developing a mobile app to show real-time queue updates for voters.
Kochi: In a major decision to make voting more comfortable and inclusive, the Kerala High Court has directed the State Election Commission to introduce a proper queue management system along with seating arrangements, drinking water, and other voter-friendly facilities at polling stations.
These steps are to begin with the upcoming panchayat elections in the State.
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan passed the order while noting that voters, especially senior citizens and differently abled persons, often face great difficulty during elections due to long queues and lack of basic facilities at polling booths.
Many voters end up skipping their right to vote because of the discomfort caused by these situations.
The Court highlighted that such instances weaken the democratic process and discourage people from participating in elections.
The judge remarked,
“In a democracy, if a voter reaches the polling booth but leaves the polling station without casting his vote upon seeing a long queue of voters, that is the death knell of democracy and reflects nothing but the failure of democracy. Long queues can be a barrier to voting, especially for those with limited time, mobility, or resources. The long wait may be due to inadequate polling booth infrastructure, insufficient staff, or poor management. In such situations, the voters may feel frustrated or disenchanted with the democratic process, leading them to abandon their right to vote. That is why I said that if such an apprehension arises in the mind of a single voter who is coming to a polling booth, that will be the death knell of democracy.”
The Court was hearing two writ petitions — one filed by NM Taha, a 79-year-old voter from Vaikom, and the other by Balachandran V.V., President of the Porkulam Mandalam Congress Committee.
The petitioners had challenged the Election Commission’s decision to fix a limit of 1,200 voters per booth in panchayats and 1,500 in municipalities.
They argued that such limits were unrealistic and would deprive many citizens of their right to vote within the available polling hours.
The petitioners pointed out that in local body elections, each voter has to cast three votes, sign registers, and operate voting machines — all within a limited time frame.
The High Court observed that if every voter were to turn up to vote, the time available per voter would only be around 30 to 40 seconds, making the current system impractical.
The Court agreed with the concern raised but clarified that it could not interfere immediately since the upcoming local body polls had to be completed before December 20.
Even so, the Court issued strong directions to the State Election Commission to improve the voting experience for citizens from the 2025 local body elections onward.
It ordered that every polling station must have a proper queue management system and seating arrangements, especially for elderly and differently abled voters. Drinking water and other basic facilities should also be provided to ensure comfort and dignity while voting.
In a progressive move, the Court further suggested that the Election Commission consider developing a mobile application to display real-time information about the queue length at polling booths.
This idea was based on a proposal by Ishaque K.V., Principal Technical Officer, IT Cell, High Court of Kerala. The app would help voters plan their visit to polling stations and avoid long waiting times.
Justice Kunhikrishnan emphasized that voters are central to the democratic process and must be treated with utmost respect. The Court noted,
“The voters are the superstars of democracy. Therefore, they should be respected and treated well in the booth…..Some voters may skip their right to vote after seeing long queues at polling booths for various reasons. That is why I said at the earlier stage itself that if a single voter decides to leave the polling booth without casting a vote upon seeing the long queue, that would be a massacre to democracy.”
The Court concluded that a healthy democracy depends on the freedom and ease with which citizens can exercise their right to vote. True democracy, it said, is not only about conducting elections but ensuring every voter has the opportunity to participate fully and comfortably.
Justice Kunhikrishnan beautifully summed up this idea by saying,
“The spectators of the above running race are the voters who cast their votes in the election. Their applause should be expressed by exercising their right to vote. If all the voters clap and encourage the contestants, and, of course, if they extend their congratulations to both the winners and losers, that will truly reflect the beauty of our democracy and serve as a salute to our Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.”
The Court then disposed of the petitions after giving the above directions and observations.
Advocates Kavery S. Thampi and Jeleetta Gregory represented the petitioners, while Standing Counsel Deepu Lal Mohan appeared for the State Election Commission, and Government Pleader Jessy S. Salim represented the State government.
This judgment is being hailed as a significant step towards ensuring greater voter participation, accessibility, and dignity in the electoral process — reaffirming that every voter truly matters in India’s democracy.
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