Shillong: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar declared India’s electoral system among the most transparent on the planet. He spoke Friday at the All India Media Conference 2026 in New Delhi, urging citizens to ignore misinformation about the voting process. Managing 95 crore voters is a massive logistical feat. Each year, the electoral roll shifts by 8 per cent, with 63 lakh entries added, deleted, or corrected every single month.
Updating these rolls requires 27 lakh personnel, including Booth Level Officers, who carry out physical field verification. Political parties monitor the system, and concurrent auditing along with mock polls protect its integrity. The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is now over 80 per cent complete. This work aligns with the Constitution and has full support from the Supreme Court. Kumar stated, "To clean the electoral roll, somebody in this country had to do it. It requires courage and determination."
The Elector Photo Identity Card remains the only document issued after a physical field check. Voter registration is strictly tied to citizenship under Article 326 of the Constitution. India currently chairs the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance while other nations study its management practices. The ECINET platform has reached 11.5 crore users since launching in January. Officials also plan to push Electoral Literacy Clubs in schools to boost youth turnout. A delegation from Meghalaya joined the event to review election laws, polling protocols, and counting procedures.
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