EC tightens voter slip distribution norms in West Bengal ahead of polls

With the West Bengal Assembly polls less than three months away, the Election Commission (EC) has tightened norms for the door-to-door distribution of voter slips to ensure transparency, accuracy and accountability in the electoral process, officials said on Saturday.

The move comes amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and follows instances in past elections where political party representatives, instead of designated officials, were found distributing voter slips, raising concerns over unofficial influence and misinformation.

The EC has directed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to strictly adhere to existing guidelines and ensure that voter slips are distributed only by them , bearing the official logo of the Commission . “Clear instructions have been issued to ensure that voter slips are distributed strictly as per the Election Commission guidelines,” a senior official told PTI.

An EC source said the voter slips must contain complete and standardised details , including the elector’s name, age, address, EPIC number, part number, booth number, and the name of the polling station, to avoid confusion among voters.

Although guidelines issued in 2018 had placed responsibility for door-to-door voter slip distribution on BLOs, they were not strictly followed during earlier elections, officials said. “In most cases, it was noticed that representatives of political parties were distributing voter slips,” another official said.

To strengthen enforcement, the Commission has put in place a grievance redressal mechanism , allowing voters who do not receive slips from the designated BLO to lodge complaints through the EC helpline number . The EC has warned that strict action will be taken within 24 hours against the concerned BLO upon receiving such complaints.

Officials said the tightening of norms aims to reduce misinformation , prevent unofficial handling of voter data , and enhance voter confidence in the run-up to the Assembly elections.