Aadhaar-Voter ID Linkage
Introduction
The Election Commission of India (ECI) proposes to commence the linking of Voter
ID (EPIC) to Aadhaar numbers. This is proposed to be carried out constitutionally
and in accordance with the Supreme Court mandate. The linking will thus enhance
voter lists and minimize duplicate entries.
Linking of Voter ID with Aadhaar
It would appear that the Election Commission intends to link Voter ID cards to
Aadhaar numbers with the voluntary cooperation of voters who do so. To this end,
the ECI will be assisted by technical experts from UIDAI.
Constitutional and Legal Considerations
Under Article 326 of the Indian Constitution, only Indian citizens can vote. An
Aadhaar card is only a verification of identity; it does not confer citizenship upon
anyone and therefore the linking will be done in accordance with:
Article 326 of the Constitution
Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950
A Supreme Court ruling (WP Civil No. 177/2023)
Worrisome Concerns of Electoral Rolls
Some other opposition parties are hurling the same allegation because of voter lists
being faulty, with a typical instance being that voters having the same EPIC number
are two. Now it is about time for the Election Commission to come and recognize the
imbroglio and set the ball rolling for a remedy
Consultations with Government Officers
In a meeting to discuss the linking process, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh
Kumar and other Election Commissioners met:
– Union Home Secretary
– Secretary of Legislative Department
– Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
– CEO of UIDAI
– Technical experts of the ECI
There was an agreement to take all precautions to ensure that the linking of Aadhaar
with Voter IDs occurring within the legal framework
Collecting Aadhaar from Voter ID
By Amending the Representation of the People Act, 1951 in 2021, Aadhaar numbers
were to be collected from voters voluntarily. Since 2021, the Election Commission
has, for some 66.23 crore voters from a pool of 99.2 crore registered voters collected
Aadhaar numbers. The linking of Aadhaar with Voter ID has not yet begun,
however.
Purpose of Aadhaar Linking
- Essentially linking Aadhaar with the Voter ID is to:
- Find and delete duplicate entries for Voter IDs.
- Enhance the credibility of voter lists.
- Make the electoral process more credible.
- Any linking of Aadhaar shall be on a voluntary basis, entirely at the discretion of the
voter. - Addressing the issue of duplicate Voter IDs
The TMC raised its issue with the Election Commission and accordingly, it
accepted that some such state electoral offices have been issued by mistake duplicative
EPIC numbers. However, the Commission has evaluated that:
- That voters having the same EPIC number possess different personal details,
Assembly Constituencies and polling booths. - Errors in the alphanumeric series generating EPIC numbers caused the irregularity.
- New EPIC numbers will be issued by the Commission to affected voters within three
months.
Conclusion
The Election Commission is taking some extra care in the matter of law to link Voter
ID with Aadhaar. Free and fair elections are thereby ensured. Although voluntary, it
gives more accuracy to voter registrations. The ECI will work on the technical
aspects with UIDAI professionals and remove the errors in the voter list.
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