Election Commission of India

Important points related to the Election Commission of India: 

The below-listed are some of the important points related to the Election Commission of India: 

1. The official website of the Election Commission of India is https://eci.gov.in/.    

1. The Election Commission is a multi-member body comprising three Election Commissioners. 

1. The ECI is responsible for conducting elections with credibility, fairness, transparency, integrity, accountability, autonomy, and professionalism. 

1. The commission also engages with political parties and other stakeholders to uphold the integrity of elections. 

1. The commission is also responsible for promoting awareness about the electoral process and governance among voters, candidates, political parties, election officials, and the public to build trust and confidence in the country's electoral system. 

List of Chief Election Commissioners in India:

The list of chief election commissioners in India are:

Functions of the Election Commission of India:

The functions of the Election Commission of India are listed below: 

1. The Election Commission of India supervises and manages the whole process of holding elections to the legislatures and parliaments of each state, as well as the positions of Vice-President and President.  
2. The ECI is responsible for selecting locations for polling stations, assigning voters to their respective stations, and organising other necessary arrangements at and around polling. It is also responsible for counting centres, along with handling other related matters. 
3. It recognises political parties and provides electoral symbols to them, as well as resolves associated issues. 
4. It provides advice on post-election disqualification of members of state legislatures and parliament.  
5. The election timetables for both general and bye-elections are set up by the Election Commission of India.  
6. It is responsible for granting the EPIC and preparing electoral roll.  
7. It imposes limitations for campaign expense per candidate to every political party and also supervises the same.  
8. It issues the Model Code of Conduct to ensure candidates and political parties do not engage in unfair practices as well as prevents arbitrary misuse of power by those in authority. 

Powers of the Election Commission of India: 

The powers of the Election Commission of India are as follows: 

1. The Election Commission of India is responsible for determining the territorial areas of Electoral Constituencies across the country in accordance with the Delimitation Commission Act of Parliament. 

1. It is responsible for preparing and revising electoral rolls of eligible voters. 

1. It is responsible for granting recognition to political parties and allocat election symbols accordingly. 

1. It is responsible for scheduling and announcing dates for elections. 

1. It is responsible for scrutinizing nomination papers.
2. It functions as a court to resolve disputes over the recognition of political parties and the allocation of electoral symbols to the parties.
3. It is responsible for advising the president about issues related to the disqualification of MPs.  

1. The Election Commission of India has the power to cancel polls in the event of booth capture, violence, or other issues.
2. It monitors the electoral machinery around the country to ensure free and fair elections.
3. It registers political parties and assigns them national or state party status depending on how they perform at the election polls.
4. It is responsible for allotting officials to investigate complaints about election arrangements.
5. It promotes the policies of political parties on radio and television.   

1. The Election Commission of India advices the governor on issues related to the disqualification of MLAs.   

Composition of the Election Commission of India: 

The composition of the Election Commission of India is as follows: 

1. The ECI comprises of the three Election Commissioners, all appointed by the President of India. 

1. When additional election commissioners are appointed, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) serves as the chairperson of the ECI. 

1. All the election commissioners, including the CEC, are equally responsible for decision-making. 

1. The President is responsible for determines the tenure and service conditions of all the commissioners. 

1. The President may also appoint Regional Commissioners to assist the ECI, if required.  

Election Laws in India:

1. The two major election laws in India are the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951. While the Representation of the People Act, 1950 is related to both preparation and revision of electoral rolls, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 deals with smooth conduct of elections and disputes.

1. It is important to note that Election Commission holds residuary powers to act in an appropriate manner in the conduct of elections, in case any law is silent or does not cover a matter adequately.

 Polling process conducted by the Election Commission of India:

The below-listed are some the details related to the polling process conducted by the Election Commission of India: 

1. Polling is conducted on different days in different constituencies to ensure law and order for free and fair elections.
2. The Election Commission of India is responsible for scheduling the date and hours of polling prior to every election.  

1. The eligible voters are issued an Electoral Photo Identity Card by the ECI. 

1. It is mandatory for the voters to carry their voter ID when going to cast their vote. 

1. Polling stations are usually set up in public institutions like schools or community halls, and caters to a fixed number of voters, as per the list prepared by the ECI. 

1. The ECI is responsible for appointing officers for each polling booth. 

1. In India, voting is now conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) along with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems, earlier ballot papers were used. 

Corrupt Electoral Practices:

There are several practices which are considered electoral offenses as listed below:

1. Accepting money or any other form of gratification to vote for a candidate
2. Acceptance of gifts and liquor among other things to not vote for a candidate
3. Offer free conveyance to electors as inducement to influence voting decisions
4. Offering any form of inducement to voters on the basis of caste, religion or place of birth

It is important to note that no voter should disclose details of whom they voted for. In case a voter violates the secrecy, they will be booked under Section 128 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

Grievance Redressal Mechanisms:

In case an elector has any issue related to elections, he may contact some officials as listed below: