Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, during his Ahmedabad visit, addressed the possibility of mobile-phone voting and the ongoing debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, while highlighting the scale of India’s election machinery.

Kumar pointed to the technological and security challenges of phone-based voting and cited Bihar’s record voter participation to counter arguments around turnout figures following SIR.

Mobile Voting: Why Smartphones Won’t Replace EVMs Yet

Responding to a question on whether India could eventually move towards voting through mobile phones, Kumar said the process would involve much more than simply tapping a screen.

A phone-based voting system would require reliable connectivity, cloud infrastructure, secure servers and trained technology operators. The bigger challenge, he said, would be ensuring that every ballot remains secure, legally verifiable and protected from external interference.

For now, the EVMs remains at the centre of India’s voting process.

SIR Debate: Kumar Points To Record Voter Numbers

Kumar also addressed claims that SIR affected turnout percentages by reducing the electoral-roll “denominator”.

Rejecting the argument, he pointed to the actual number of voters who cast their ballots.

Bihar recorded a 67.25% turnout in its Assembly election, which Kumar described as the highest since Independence. As many as 5,02,31,651 voters participated, also the highest absolute number recorded in a Bihar Assembly election since Independence.

Kumar said the record participation was reflected in both the turnout percentage and the number of voters who actually voted.

‘The Sun Rises In The East, Not The West’

Responding to the wider debate over SIR and voter turnout, Kumar said, “The sun rises in the east, not the west.”

His broader point was that claims about the electoral process should be assessed against established facts and actual voter numbers, rather than turnout percentages alone.

1.8 Crore Personnel Behind India’s Elections

Kumar highlighted the enormous workforce required to conduct a general election.

Around 1.8 crore personnel are deployed during a general election, he said.

For comparison, the Government of India, including the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces and Railways, employs around 65 lakh people, while Walmart employs about 20 lakh.

Together, those figures amount to around 85 lakh less than half the personnel deployed for a general election.

ECI Net Connects Election Personnel

Kumar also highlighted ECI Net, the Election Commission of India’s digital platform for communicating with election personnel.

He said it replaced an earlier system involving around 40 applications and has recorded around 12 crore downloads.

Available on iOS and Android, the platform connects the 1.8 crore personnel involved in conducting elections.

Electoral Rolls, Polling And Counting

Kumar described elections in three broad stages preparation of electoral rolls, polling and counting.

Booth Level Officers play a key role in maintaining the rolls. They help identify voters who have shifted residence, are absent or are deceased, allowing electoral records to be updated in accordance with the law.