Corpn: Poor response to EVP app delays draft rolls

“We expected that voters in the city would use the mobile application to verify their details as it was the easier method. Surprisingly, many voters failed to verify their details through the application,” a senior Chennai Corporation official said.

The official added that the civic body had completed the electoral verification programme by conducting door-to-door verification. Due to the process, preparation of draft electoral list was delayed.

As the electoral verification has been completed, the civic body would release the draft electoral list for the 16 Assembly segments in Chennai on Monday. Soon after the draft list is released, voters can apply for corrections. The final electoral list will be released on February 14.

The EVP application that was released to the public on September 1 was given two extensions till November 18.

Usually, the draft electoral list would be released in October every year and the final list would be published during the first week of January. “Due to the poor response for the EVP mobile application, which forced us to conduct door-to-door verification process, publication of draft electoral list got delayed,” the official explained.

Of more than 38 lakh voters in Chennai district, only around 10 lakh voters had utilised the EVP mobile application to verify and update their electoral details. After the final electoral list in February, the civic body will prepare another voters’ list for local body elections.