Madhya Pradesh assembly polls this year would be witnessing several firsts. This would be for the first time that all contestants would have to declare about their criminal antecedents publicly. Moreover, VVPAT too would be used for the first time across all assembly seats.
After Supreme Court coming down heavily on crime in politics, declaration of criminal cases was made mandatory and this would be first election where all contestants would have to declare criminal cases and convictions in bold letters in newspapers thrice before polling. Expenses would be added in candidates’ expenditure list to contest elections.
Even the political parties would have to declare on their websites about criminal past of their candidates. In another first, 2018 assembly elections would be held with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) attachments along with EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). VVPAT machine shows your vote on a paper printout, though it is not given to the voter.
This assembly election, Madhya Pradesh has 100 per cent coverage of electors photo identity cards (EPIC). The voter slip would have the photo of the elector besides other information like his name, address, booth number etc. The reverse of voter slip would have a map to your polling booth for your guidance. Though special arrangements have been made for the differently-abled but this year EC has introduced braile EPICs. There are more than 50,000 visually impaired voters in the state.
The EC for the first time will construct at least one pink booth in every constituency exclusively for women. These booths will be operated, guarded and will be only for women. Election Commission has introduced a mobile application cVIGIL this election. It will be used in Madhya Pradesh in which the voters can lodge a complaint specially regarding violation of model code of conduct. Voters can take a photograph of any violation and load it on the app and send it to the authorities concerned. Election commission has promised a response time within 40 minutes.
