Election Commission ignored vote-count mismatches in 2024 polls, investigation finds

The Reporters’ Collective found that votes counted differed from votes cast in 52 constituencies across Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir during the 2024 elections.

The investigation examined internal reports covering 63 parliamentary constituencies and 467 assembly constituencies in those three states.

“ECI rules say such mismatch should trigger probe into possible rigging.”

Election Commission rules state that such a mismatch should trigger a probe into possible rigging, but the Commission did not reveal the counts publicly.

At polling booths, three officers manage the voting process: one checks voter identity, one records details in Form 17A and issues a slip, and one checks the slip before allowing the vote.

When polling ends, the presiding officer closes the EVM control unit, and the number of votes cast is recorded in Form 17C; the two counts should ordinarily match.

The Commission maintains an internal Register of Voters in Form 17A and an Account of Votes Recorded in Form 17C, but it declined to share booth-wise Form 17C records when requested by ADR in 2024.

The report notes there appears to be no provision to record rare cases where a voter is prevented from voting or casts more than once.