New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has conveyed its support for the One Country One Election proposal, stating in a letter to the Central Government that simultaneous elections would not pose significant challenges. However, the commission emphasized that implementing such a system would require an additional investment of at least Rs 10,000 crore for the procurement of extra Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. The letter highlighted that EVMs typically have a lifespan of around 15 years, and additional machines would be needed every 15 years for elections.
The commission's communication to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice also addressed concerns related to staff requirements, infrastructure, and storage of essential commodities for conducting simultaneous elections. The letter was a response to a questionnaire from the Law Ministry seeking insights into the technical, financial, and system-related aspects of the One Country One Election project.
According to the commission's reply, to facilitate simultaneous voting across the entire country, approximately 11.8 lakh polling stations would need to be established. Each booth would require a minimum of two sets of EVMs—one for the Lok Sabha seat and another for the Legislative Assembly seat. Additionally, contingency arrangements for control units, ballot units, and VVPATs would be necessary in case of faulty EVMs.
Considering these factors, the commission estimated that a minimum of 46,75,100 ballot units, 33,63,300 control units, and 36,62,600 VVPATs would be required for simultaneous voting nationwide.
With these essential considerations addressed in its reply, the Election Commission has provided valuable input for the government and the High Power Committee led by former President Ramnath Kovind in formulating a roadmap. This information will aid in estimating the financial and economic requirements for the implementation of One Country One Election.
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