Mumbai: Citizens spent long hours at the polling centres searching for their names on the voters’ list in western suburbs, on Monday, despite them having receipts and id cards. They complained in ‘Digital India’ while most of the processes and businesses have shifted to the digital medium time the physical check for identification too should now be technology-driven. teachers, staff and policemen on election duty, however, claimed otherwise.
They said physical identification helped them prevent cheating and discrepancies. Voters at polling booths in Kandivali, Malad, Goregaon and Jogeshwari areas complained they had to wait for over two hours to find their names on the list.
They claimed this physical checking of names was not necessary as they had already received voter id cards. This waiting time could be avoided if there was no physical checking, according to voters. Everything has been digitised, then names on voters’ list could be cross checked through a digital medium, which would have been faster, claimed voters.
Sayed Istefa, a resident of Jogeshwari, said, “We had to wait for two hours to check our names on the lists as polling officers struggled going through multiple pages to find our names. This could have been avoided if our biometrics were taken through a digital system.”
While Hetal Mehta, a resident of Malad, said, “Physical checking of voters at the polling booths is a waste of time. I waited for an hour, even though my name was on the list. The officers could not find it. On the contrary, teachers, staff and policemen on election duty claimed physical checking of names is essential to prevent cheating.
Neha Singh, a teacher, said, “It is important to crosscheck the name of each voter against their identification card. It prevents any acts of cheating in the voting process.” The checking of names takes time, as there are numerous voters for each polling booth, claimed police and staffers on election duty.
A police officer on election duty said, “The process to check names helps them avoid any discrepancies like fake voters or incorrect personal details. Since the constituency for Lok Sabha is vast, the checking too takes time. Voters need to cooperate with us.”
