Today, On 2nd November, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna will hear a PIL challenging the Election Commission’s decision to increase the maximum voter count per polling booth from 1,200 to 1,500. The petitioner contends that the move could lead to overcrowding and exclusion of marginalized groups from the electoral process. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that such a situation is “neither acceptable in a progressive republic or democracy.” The Court will examine the Election Commission’s stance on the matter during the hearing.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on December 2, Today, challenging the Election Commission’s decision to increase the maximum number of voters per polling station from 1,200 to 1,500.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar will review the PIL filed by Indu Prakash Singh, who has contested two communications from the Election Commission issued in August 2024 that raised the voter limit per polling booth across India.
Singh argues that this decision is arbitrary and lacks data support.
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On October 24, the Supreme Court declined to issue a notice to the Election Commission but permitted the petitioner to serve the standing counsel with a copy to obtain the Commission’s response.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the petitioner, contended that the increase would marginalize underprivileged groups by prolonging the voting process, leading to longer queues and potentially discouraging voter turnout.
The bench, however, noted that the Election Commission aims to encourage higher voter participation and that with electronic voting machines (EVMs), the voting process is quicker compared to traditional ballot papers.
Singh highlighted that elections typically last for 11 hours, and it takes about 60 to 90 seconds to cast a vote. He calculated that with one EVM, a polling station can accommodate approximately 660 to 490 voters in a day.
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Considering an average voter turnout of 65.70%, he suggested that a polling station designed for 1,000 voters might expect around 650 individuals to appear.
Furthermore, in booths with a turnout of 85-90%, he warned that about 20% of voters could end up waiting past closing time or abandon their right to vote due to lengthy wait times.
Singh’s petition stated,
“Neither is acceptable in a progressive republic or a democracy.”