The voting percentage decreased this time. Special campaigns are required, election authority should associate itself with some experts to deliver the result. The poll percentage decreased by six to seven percent this time and the most important aspect in making people vote is the security aspect. In the hill areas the poll percentage was poor specially to poor security arrangements. Women voters complained of security personnel frisking women voters. The poll process was slow. The papers brought by the officials should had been perforated as it took a long time to tear the pages for each voter. Privacy of voting was not given any respect as each polling officers easily saw the name of the candidate a voter voted . The arrangement was poor and the matter came to light when the polling agents started declaring they knew for which candidate a voter cast their vote. Security personnel had idea about the rules though they behaved well. They were not rude and respectable to the voters. Poll officers also behaved well. The security personnel however did not allow scribes holding authority letter issued by the ECI to photograph the poll process though it is allowed. Only the voting compartment can not be photographed. When some journalists approached the poll officer about the matter they simply smiled and did not utter a single word. After being briefed about the procedures and translating it in Manipuri language the polling officer smiled again. It seems that the security personnel and the polling officers in our state have not seen elections anywhere else. The election authority should seriously review the security arrangements in the hill areas on poll days and for the valley areas before the poll days. Precious lives were lost. Their sacrifice should not go in vain and we hope in the next elections everything goes smoothly without any violence. The allegations made after the elections by candidates are serious and repoll should be done in any polling station where any mishap occured in the best interest of democracy. It will also be a deterrent as people will realise that re poll will be done in any polling station where criminals had their day.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/election-process/
