On June 4, 2025, Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a new, technology-based system to provide real-time updates on approximate Voter Turnout(VTR) trends, with an aim to reduce the delays associated with the earlier manual reporting process.
- The launch aligns with the ECI’s commitment to timely public communication, which is the highest priority.
Key Points:
i.Under Rule 49S of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, Presiding Officers (PROs) are required to submit Form 17C, which contains the account of votes recorded, to the polling agents nominated by candidates at the close of polling.
ii.The legal requirement of submission remains unchanged whereas the process of updating the (VTR)Â Reporting application(app), which has evolved as a facilitative, non-statutory mechanism to keep the public informed of the approximate voter turnout percentage trends, is being streamlined to ensure faster updation.
iii.Earlier, VTR Data was collected manually by the Sector Officers and relayed to Returning Officers (RO) through phone calls, Short Message Service (SMS), or messaging applications.
- The information received was aggregated every two hours and uploaded to the VTR app.
- Polling percentage faced delays of 4-5 hours or longer.
About ECINET:
ECINET is a unified digital platform developed by the ECI to integrate and consolidate over 40 existing applications, such as the Voter Helpline, cVIGIL(Vigilant Citizen) app, and Suvidha 2.0, into a single, user-friendly interface.
- It aims to streamline access to electoral services for voters, election officials, political parties, and civil society organizations.
Uses of the New ECINET APP:
i.Under the new system, each PRO at every polling station will enter voter turnout data into the new Election Commission Network and Information Technology (ECINET) app every 2 hours on the polling day.
- The change is expected to cut the time lag significantly, allowing data to be aggregated automatically at the constituency level
ii.ECINET allows offline data entry in areas with no network, which synchronizes when it is connected with the internet.
iii.PROs must enter final turnout data into ECINET immediately after polls close, before leaving the station.
Note:Â The updated VTR App, now integrated within the ECINET platform, is set to become fully operational ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections scheduled for November 2025.
About Election Commission of India (ECI):
Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) – Gyanesh Kumar
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 1950
