DigiLocker Not Accepted as Identity Proof at Polling Booths, clarifies Pune Collector Suhas Diwase
DigiLocker Not Accepted as Identity Proof at Polling Booths, clarifies Pune Collector Suhas Diwase
Concerns have emerged over the inability to use DigiLocker documents as valid identity proof at polling booths during the ongoing assembly elections. Voters have expressed frustration over the policy, which disallows mobile phones at polling stations, making DigiLocker inaccessible.
Dr. Suhas Diwase, Pune’s District Election Officer, clarified the rule. “Mobile phones are prohibited inside polling booths. As a result, DigiLocker documents cannot be presented as identity proof,” he said.
He added that the policy is not new and has been in place since the previous Lok Sabha elections. Voters are advised to carry physical copies of voter ID cards or other approved identity documents, such as Aadhaar, PAN cards, or passports.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions online. While some voters have called for tech-friendly solutions, election officials have stressed the importance of maintaining the security and sanctity of the polling process.
A petition filed in the Bombay High Court sought to allow mobile phones at polling booths to access DigiLocker. The petitioner, Ujala Shyambihari Yadav, argued that the restriction caused inconvenience to elderly voters and hindered the democratic process.
However, the High Court dismissed the plea. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar upheld the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) circular, issued in June last year. The circular prohibits anyone other than authorized election officials or observers from carrying mobile phones within 100 meters of polling centers.
The court ruled there was no irregularity in the ECI’s decision. It emphasized that the policy ensures a free and fair election process without compromising security at polling stations.
