Lok Sabha Polls: In a first, Kottayam develops an app for welfare of officers, EVM complaints     

This election, the only constituency which is concerned in real-time about the welfare of its polling officers is Kottayam district. An app ‘Election Kottayam’ has been developed with the aim of addressing the concerns of the polling officers at their booths on April 22, when the officers reach their booths and on polling day April 23. Polling booth officers can also complain about EVM malfunction through this app.

“Whenever election duty is announced, most people ask for an exemption. Most people opt out of it because mostly no one cares about their welfare and sometimes they are not treated with respect either. Once the officers reach the polling booths, there is no one to address their concerns. This app hopes to streamline that process, enable them to complain and they should get a response in 35 minutes. This app has been built to ensure the welfare and requirements of polling officers are looked into,” says PK Sudheer Babu, Kottayam district collector, who initiated the process of building this app.

Built with the help of students from Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, the Election Kottayam app has several complaint options. “If there is no electricity, water, toilet facilities at the booth, the polling officers can complain. They can also complain about the food and also if the food doesn’t reach them on time. There are several forms, materials and stationery that each booth requires. If there is a shortage, the polling officer can update on the app. The sectoral officer has to respond and resolve it in 35 minutes. Under each sectoral officer, there are 10-12 polling stations. If it isn’t resolved, then the matter gets escalated to the Assistant returning Officer (ARO). If the ARO doesn’t solve it in the next 35 minutes, then the matter reaches the District Collector, who is the Returning Officer,” highlights Babu.

“The complaints can include faults with EVMs, lack of forms for the blind and invalid, copy of marked electoral rolls, smaller envelopes, shortage of stationery, etc. There are 40 such complaint options. The app also has options in case of EVM failures. In case of EVM-related issues, the polling officer can choose whether it is a complaint with the direct unit, control unit or VVPAT. Depending on the issue, it will be resolved,” emphasises Babu.

“We have developed this app only for Kottayam district. It will be used by officers in 1,564 booths in the constituency. The district collector wanted such an app to ensure the concerns of the booth officers are addressed. Earlier, if there were issues faced by the polling officers, they couldn’t escalate it, now with this app, even the District Collector will know about the issues in each booth. If there are ego tussles between certain sectoral officers and polling officers, then the ARO will intervene to sort it out. The issue has to be resolved with 75 minutes, after which it will reach the Collector. Different logins have been created for each level of seniority,” explains Prof Manoj T Joy, Computer Science department head. His team of 54 students have developed the app for the district collector.

“I don’t think such an app has been developed anywhere in India for elections. It is an app whose longevity is only for two days – from the time the polling officers reach their polling stations. They usually reach a day in advance,” explains Joy.

“This app is mostly for the welfare of the officers. The state election commission has also provided a poll manager app. But, that app is mostly to report about mock polls, beginning and stoppage, poll percentage and number of men and women voters. Earlier, the Election Officers had said it would have an option to complain about EVM malfunctioning, but it doesn’t have that option,” says Babu.

A number of polling booths are in secluded areas where facilities are not optimum. “This app will help the election process, making it better for the officers who work. We have not yet paid for the app. We will not be able to pay the market rate, but we are sure the Amal Jyothi College officials will not have an issue about it,” remarks Babu.