TFP Bureau, Raipur, 23 May 2025 : In a bid to improve the voting experience and streamline polling day arrangements, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced two key initiatives: a mobile phone deposit facility outside polling stations and stricter regulation of campaigning near booths. The new directives, aimed at increasing voter convenience while maintaining electoral integrity, align with provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
The decision comes in response to the widespread use of mobile phones across both urban and rural areas and the challenges many voters—particularly senior citizens, women, and persons with disabilities—face in managing their phones on polling day.
Mobile Deposit Zones Outside Polling Stations
As per the new guidelines, voters will now be able to deposit their mobile phones outside the polling stations in specially designated pigeonhole boxes or jute bags. This facility will be made available near the entrance of each polling station. Only mobile phones in switched-off mode will be permitted within a 100-meter radius of polling stations; however, carrying phones inside the polling station remains strictly prohibited.
Returning Officers will have discretionary powers to exempt certain polling stations from this provision based on adverse local conditions. The Commission has reiterated that Rule 49M, which protects the secrecy of voting inside polling stations, will continue to be strictly enforced.
Stricter Controls on Campaign Activity
To further enhance polling day decorum, the Commission has also reinforced the prohibition on campaign activity within a 100-meter radius of polling stations. Candidates’ help desks or booths for distributing unofficial voter slips—previously often set up near polling stations—must now operate outside this restricted zone.
Committed to Free and Fair Elections
The Commission, under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, reaffirmed its commitment to conducting elections that are free, fair, and voter-friendly.
“These measures are part of ECI’s continuous efforts to innovate and simplify the voting process while upholding the sanctity and secrecy of the ballot,” the Commission said in a statement.
