The Election Commission has opposed extending the storage of polling booth footage beyond 45 days, stating it could be “contrary to voter privacy and safety,” despite calls from opposition leaders for increased transparency in the election process.
In reply to requests for keeping polling booth footage for more than 45 days, Election Commission sources said that even though the demand may seem fair at first, it could harm the privacy and safety of voters.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, raised concerns about the “match fixing” of elections, specifically highlighting the regulation requiring the deletion of polling videos within 45 days.
In a post on X, Mr. Gandhi raised several questions directed at the Election Commission, accusing the organization responsible for providing answers of deleting crucial evidence.
The Congress MP stated,
“Voter list? Will not provide machine-readable format; CCTV footage? It was hidden by changing the law; Photo-video of the election? Not in 1 year, we will destroy it in 45 days. The one from whom answers are needed is destroying the evidence. It is clear the match is fixed. And a fixed election is poison for democracy,”
A source stated,
“A demand that appears very reasonable actually contradicts the privacy and security concerns of voters, as well as the legal framework established in the Representation of the People Act 1950/1951 and directives from the Supreme Court,”
Explaining further, the source added,
“Sharing of the footage, which would enable easy identification of the electors by any group or an individual, would leave both the elector who has voted and those who haven’t vulnerable to pressure, discrimination and intimidation by anti-social elements. For instance, if a particular political party gets fewer number of votes in a particular booth, it would easily be able to identify, through the CCTV footage, which elector has voted and which elector has not, and thereafter, may harass or intimidate the electors.”
Sources indicate that while retaining CCTV footage is not mandatory, the Election Commission does so for 45 days.
This period aligns with the timeframe for filing petitions regarding any aspects of the voting process.
The source said,
“Since no election can be challenged beyond 45 days of the declaration of the result, retaining of this footage, beyond this period, makes it susceptible to misuse of the content by non-contestants for spreading misinformation and malicious narratives. In case of an election petition being filed within 45 days, the CCTV footage is not destroyed and also made available to the competent court when asked for,”
The source emphasized that protecting voters’ interests and ensuring their privacy and secrecy is of utmost importance to the Election Commission, which will not compromise on these principles.
Earlier this month, Mr. Gandhi alleged that there was match-fixing in the upcoming November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. He raised concerns regarding the purported addition of fake voters to the rolls, inflated voter turnout, targeted bogus voting, manipulation of the panel for appointing the Election Commission, and the suppression of evidence.
He also voiced concerns that similar issues could arise in the Bihar Assembly elections later this year.
In response, the Election Commission criticized the Congress for making baseless allegations and disregarding factual information.
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