PIL in SC challenges EC’s decision to increase voters’ number per polling station

A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to increase the maximum number of voters per polling station from 1,200 to 1,500.

A three-judge Bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday asked petitioner Indu Prakash Singh to serve an advance copy of his petition on standing counsel of the Election Commission for obtaining necessary instructions on the factual position and spell out the poll panel’s stand on the next date.

The Bench – which also included Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice R Mahadevan – however, refused to issue notice to the commission on Singh’s petition.

On behalf of the petitioner, senior counsel AM Singhvi contended that the increase in the number of voters per polling station from 1,200 to 1,500 would lead to exclusion of underprivileged groups from the election process due to the disproportionate amount of time taken in voting on account of the increased number.

Terming it an act of voter disenfranchisement, Singhvi said voters get discouraged due to long queues and waiting periods.

The Bench, however, said, the poll panel wanted more and more voters to cast votes and reduce the time taken to cast votes as much as possible.

The petitioner has challenged the EC’s two communications issued in August 2024 increasing the number of voters at each polling booth in each constituency across India, contending that it was not supported by any data and had no rational nexus with the object sought to be achieved.

Singh contended that the decision would impact the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand (next month); and Bihar and Delhi (next year).

Claiming that it took about 60-90 seconds for a voter to cast his/her vote and elections are typically held for 11 hours, he submitted that it would mean that only 495-660 persons can vote per polling station.

Considering the average voting percentage of 65.7%, it’s perceivable that a polling station prepared to accept 1,000 electors can accommodate about 650 voters. However, there’re booths where elector turnout is in the range of 85-90%, Singh contended.

"In such a situation, about 20% of voters will either end up standing in queue beyond the voting hours or due to long waiting times will abandon exercising their right to vote. Neither is acceptable in a progressive republic or a democracy,” the petitioner submitted.