Facing questions over delays and alleged inconsistencies in voter turnout data, including during the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has upgraded its digital infrastructure to address the issue. 

The latest update brings a significant change to how voter turnout data is collected and disseminated by getting it reported directly from the polling station, in near real-time.

The Presiding Officer (PRO) at each polling station will now enter voter turnout data directly into the newly upgraded ECINET App, eliminating earlier time lags caused by layered data transmission.

Officials said the new system is designed to address concerns over voter turnout figures, offering a tamper-proof, time-stamped entry process and real-time synchronisation - minimising discrepancies between on-ground turnout and reported figures.

"This upgraded system will be fully operational ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections. By centralising all data flows into ECINET, the Commission aims to deliver faster, cleaner, and more trustworthy electoral data," an official said. 

Earlier, voter turnout data was collected manually by sector officers and relayed to returning officers (ROs) via phone calls, SMS, or messaging apps. This information was aggregated every two hours and uploaded to the Voter Turnout App. The polling percentage trends were often updated hours later, based on physical records arriving late in the night or even the next day, leading to delays of four to five hours, or even more. 

The key improvements include:

• Real-time entry: Voter turnout data will be updated directly by presiding officers at the booth level.
• More accurate two-hour updates: Turnout trends will still be published every two hours,but with enhanced accuracy.
• Final turnout before leaving polling: Officers must input the final voter turnout before leaving the polling station, ensuring last-mile accuracy.
• All-in-one app: ECINET now integrates all ECI apps.