No delay in release of voter turnout data: EC

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday came out with the constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha polls and said there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous designs to vitiate the electoral process. It also asserted that any alteration in the number of the votes polled is not possible. The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading the polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website. The EC said it has decided to further expand the format of the turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every constituency. The absolute numbers are discernable constituency-wise by all citizens by applying the turnout percentage to the total number of electors, both already made available in the public domain, the poll panel said.

Electors are those on the electoral roll and eligible to vote. Voters are those who actually cast their votes in an election.

While the EC had been issuing the turnout percentage, there were demands to make the actual number of voters in every phase public.

Referring to the apprehension expressed by some opposition parties that the turnout data can be fudged, the poll panel said the process of collection and storage of the votes polled is rigorous, transparent and participative. The entire exercise of releasing the turnout data from the date of commencement of the Lok Sabha polls on April 19 has been "accurate, consistent and in accordance with election laws and without any discrepancy whatsoever", the EC said.

Explaining the details, it said the final list of electors is given to the candidates after the list of the contesting candidates is finalised.