Polling Day And Post Poll Rigging Practices: HumSub.TV

Polling Day And Post Poll Rigging Practices:

Polling Day And Post Poll Rigging Practices: Keeping in view the past practices, following techniques of rigging are feared to be adopted during the 2018 General Election.

Polling Day And Post Poll Rigging Practices:

1. The first polling day rigging technique, keeping in view the recent precedents, can be the “go slow strategy” in targeted polling stations of some crucial constituencies where unwanted political party may have big support base.
2. Unnecessary checks and obstacles created during the polling process are an effective and tactical toll to make the polling process slow.

For example, the election law doesn’t allow voters’ verification by security staff guarding the entry gates of polling stations but it was done recently. Such authentication can be legally done more effectively and accurately by the polling personnel and agents of the all contesting candidates, sitting close to the ballot boxes.

3. The third polling day rigging strategy can be making impossible for the polling agents/staff of unwanted political parties deputed on some targeted polling station of some important constituencies to reach in time. Past instances show that polling agents were even kidnapped by the rivals. This will be extremely helpful to achieve the objective and this technique has been used many times in the past.
4. Another technique recently adopted by the security personnel deputed outside the polling station was to illegally send back voters holding the slips, containing vote numbers in the electoral rolls, of a particular political party, issued by its camps, on the fallacious ground that their names do not appear in the voters’ lists.

   

5. Another polling day rigging technique adopted recently was not to let several voters to go inside the polling stations according to the capacity of these places, saying that there was no space inside. If only a very small number of voters are permitted to get into the stations, the whole process will tremendously slow down, forcing many to go without casting their ballots. The ECP must ensure that this technique to slow down overall polling process cannot be adopted on July 25, 2018.

   

6. A polling day rigging strategy adopted recently was that multitudes of voters were not allowed to get into the stations even before the polling time reached. The standard practice of allowing all those in queues outside the gate of a polling station at the closing time should be followed in letter and spirit and ECP must ensure that this may not happen against on polling day on some targeted polling stations where unwanted political party may have a large number of votes.
7. Harassing and kidnapping of some key campaigners of opposite political party was a terrible technique adopted recently.

   

8. Taking possession of polling stations by the security personnel in advance and complete occupation of all the rooms of a building to be used as polling station after one or two days and not allowing anybody to visit those rooms, was also criticised. Such a practice is against principles of transparency.

   

9. There are also fears of fake load shedding of electricity in some targeted areas near or on the polling station which will also be an effective technique.
10. Not allowing mobile phones inside the polling stations is also criticised. Many instances of polling day rigging came to public knowledge with video evidence because of recording of such activities by using mobile phones. Allowing mobile phones inside the polling station can be deterrence against many polling day rigging techniques. Only excuse presented is that people will make video of ballot papers while casting their votes and will take money in return and that this is against the sanctity and secrecy of vote.

Post Poll Rigging Methods:

1. Not allowing independent candidates or smaller parties to join other party and pressuring them to support favorite candidate for the top slot is a post-poll rigging strategy adopted at times in past as well.
2. Critical election petitions may come on scene against some winning candidates with the threat that they can be disqualified ultimately so they should support certain favorite candidate for the top slot.
3. Keeping in view the past examples, certain winning candidate of that party can be threatened and forced to quit the party and join some alliance.

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