South Zone Symposium

Information and Communication Technology for Elections Management

V. Gopi SwaminathanTechnical Director,

NIC, Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY UT - Elections e-enabled

STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION

Introduction

SMS services

Leveraging Mobile Technologies

Bar coding in EVM tracking

List of Initiatives

Real Time Poll Monitoring System

Web casting

Citizen Portal –For Next Gen

Dynamic Websites

Trends Information System

Randomization of Polling personnel

Conclusion

UNION TERRITORY OF PUDUCHERRY

ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT

Introduction

• Albeit the small size of the U.T., the distribution of the four regions among the three Southern States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh with three different spoken languages poses a real challenge for planners

• The Innovative practices has crossed the geographical and language barriers thereby the Election Machinery is unified with its operations.

List of IT Initiatives

Dynamic Website• Features are easily locatable and retrieved• Single Point source for all Citizen and Management

services.

Online services• Online services for EPIC requests• Search in Electoral Roll

Real Time Poll Monitoring System• Booths Presiding Officer need a click for his updates.

List of IT Initiatives

Trends Information System• All the counting halls are e-connected with Returning officer• Monitoring of counting, dissemination of results and statutory forms are e-enabled.

SMS portal• The office of CEO, DEO, RO and AROs are sending communications using SMS to

their team members.• Election GO GREEN

Android App • Election innovative effort towards eConnect for maximum voters participation.• Election Next Gen.

Web casting• 100% web casting to relay the booth happenings• IP based surveillance for sensitive Polling stations.

Dynamic Web SiteProcess• The website has been totally revamped.

• IT Cell is given the responsibility to update the website.

• A separate link has been provided for the General Elections 2014

• Citizen interface is provided with Database support with the help of

NIC, Puducherry.

Features• Necessary links to easily locate particular information

• A separate link has been provided for the General Elections 2014

• A database driven application for registration of request for Online

services and Search in Electoral Roll, Poll Live and Results Information.

Benefits• Single Access Point for all Election related information.

• G-G, G-C services are integrated.

• Voters are e-Connected with the Elections Department

• SMS, Android, and Vernacular language support are integrated.

SMS ServicesProcess• SMS Gateway service is provided by NIC, Puducherry

• The service is integrated with all the database applications.

• Both Bulk SMS and Push SMS facilities are available for Elections.

• SMS portal is web enabled software provided to the Office of CEO,

Office of DEOs Features• Search on Electoral Roll can be done by SMS request to 9212357123

typing ELECPDY <EPIC Number>• Online services collect the mobile numbers of applicant for sending

auto-acknowledgement services and processing status.• The mobile numbers of fresh voters are identified for SVEEP

messages.• RTPMS is integrated with SMS alerts • Evolution of SMS portal.

Benefits• Nearly 1.5 lakhs SMS are sent by SMS services.• The office of CEO, DEO, RO, and AROs communicate with their team

members with SMS. • SVEEP message sent by CEO inviting voters participation.• Easy search of Electoral Roll

Real Time Poll Monitoring SystemProcess• Web enabled Application designed and developed by NIC, Puducherry• A Desk top with broad band facility is provided for Web casting. It is

utilized for updating the poll events.• RTPMS personnel update the poll events and statistics with the

approval of the Presiding officer.• Alert Messages are integrated with the system

Features• Application is web based as well as event based.• Work flow as per pre-poll and poll days activities.• When Poll interrupts , the alerts are sent to concerned officers thro’

SMS by just a mouse click• RTPMS is integrated with SMS for sending alerts and interrupt

messages to officials.• MIS, Media and Public interface are provided separately as web sites.• Android App is also made available to disseminate the Poll statistics.

Benefits• Time taken to compile the data with Sector officer -> office of ARO ->DEO

office is replaced with automated system. Details captured on Real Time Basis.

• No financial implication as web casting and RTPMS are performed by the same system and technical person.

• Dashboard updation is available to know the Poll statistics at any instant.• ECI, CEO, DEO, RO, and AROs are provided with all updation and statistics

from single system.

Trends Information SystemProcess• Web enabled software designed by NIC, Puducherry• All the 12 counting halls situated in different places are eConnected.• ARO Halls , Tables, Booths are converted to Matrix in the system to

map with Votes secured by candidates.• The data will be entered booth wise, round wise for each AC• For completion of every round, the votes secured by each candidate is

provided PC wise/ AC wise.

Features• Fire wall protection to ensure maximum security.• Form 20 -1 and Form -20 –II and Form 21 are auto generated as details are captured booth wise.• Dash board is available to know the progress of counting in each counting Halls.• All the 4 regions are using the single system.

Benefits• Auto generation of Forms• Round wise dissemination of results for all AC s and PC.• Dashboard help to RO to keep tab on the proceedings of all AROs. • Media, Public, and MIS are available from single system.• Android App is available to know the result at a glance.

Leveraging Mobile TechnologiesProcess• The Android Apps are designed with the help of NIC, Puducherry.• The Android are connected to the Web server through web services .• The Application is given download option from the CEO website.• Android based Smart phones are required for using the facilities.

Features• Search on Electoral Roll to collect information about the Booths.• Location of Polling Booth is provided through Google Map.• Polling statistics is given for the UT and all regions.• Progress of counting at a glance is also provided to know the trends

Benefits• Smart phones are widely available among the citizens particularly

youth.• Smart phones facilitate maximum participation of voters in Election

management.• The Android App are menu driven and operated with few clicks.• The details are personalized • It can be connect to social websites.• Separate Mobile version of entire website will be the next step towards

eConnect.

Web castingProcess• A Desk top, Web cam with Broad band arrangement were provided in

all Polling booths.• A Client interface is also provided to connect the booth with the

central server, and record the events in the local desk tops. The software support was provided by vendor.

• The web casting was relayed to a central server.• Control Rooms were setup at the office of CEO and DEO offices to view

the polling booth operations.Features• Web cam installation and Web casting arrangements were trained and

operated to RTPM personnel.• Additionally, IP based web cameras were set up outside the polling

booths in vulnerable polling stations to monitor the movements.• The Web casting recording is simultaneously happening in addition to

web casting.• All the 905 polling stations are connected to the central control rooms.Benefits• Communication plan is very much benefitted with the surveillance

facilities of the web casting.• Mobilizing the armed forces and CAPF forces will be easier with the IP

camera set up.• Recording of the webcasting can be played at any time for verification.• The awareness on ECI watch for law breakers has improved the law and

order situation during polling.

Bar Code - MethodologyProcess

• Manual updation of Control Unit and Base unit number of EVM and Print slip

number in the Central Database.

• Barcode is generated for all Control Unit and Base Unit by using “Elf ring

Barcode”

Benefits• With one swipe, the data gets stored correctly without any mistakes.

• While updating the numbers manually, data entry errors are possible whreas by using the Bar Code facility, we avoid the error free entry

Randomization of Polling personnelProcess• Online system to collect the employee details from all government Departments asper the guidelines of CEC for pre-poll activities. • The randomization process of polling personnel allocation as wellas EVMs for booths are the two major activities.

Features• All validation checks for both processes are done as per the schedule of ElectionDepartment, Puducherry.

Benefits• Necessary appointment orders for individuals and all other reports required are generated•through the system.•. Mobile numbers are integrated in RTPMS and SMS portal.

Citizen Portal for Next GenProcess• Content Management System for database driven interface and easy

updation features.

• Connect via Web sites, Portals, Mobile Phones and Social Websites for

maximum participation.

• Personalized page for a citizen to view EPIC and track his movement as

a voter

Features• Request for New EPIC, alteration on existing EPIC, location of Polling

booths will be very handy • Voter will be eConnected with BLOs and AROs.• Suggestions and opinions will be easily monitored and personalized.• Scanned documents and Photos can be viewed at any time.• Personalized circulars, notifications may be provided.

Benefits• eConnect and eInform are the two major factors for citizens.• Election management will have maximum participation with

the personalization of services throgh citizen portal.

CONCLUSION• ICT has helped in the data collection and Information dissemination. The statistical and factual information given reflects the ICT intervention for the coordination efforts made• Simple applications like SMS portal are very powerful in critical situations. •Web casting shows how a third eye helps the management to have a control on the surveillance. •New technologies like Mobile Apps find scope on the election management.

With the growing aspiration in the innovations and practices, the ICT will emerge as a major player on the conduct of the future elections. The young India is fast emerging as the strong ICT enabled citizens and more dependent on the web and mobile technologies. Therefore, the processes, its services, and in general the Election Management will be ICT enabled in all the key areas.