Cautioning Election Management Bodies (EMBs) against fake narratives, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Thursday said such narratives are typically timed at crucial junctures of the election process to target its very vitals.
In his address on the first-day of the two-day international conference titled “Global Election Year 2024: Reiteration of Democratic Spaces; Takeaway for EMBs)”, being attended by nearly 30 representatives from the EMBs of 13 countries including Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, he emphasised on the critical role of technology and digital innovations in enhancing efficiency, transparency and voter confidence.
Stating that while technology offers significant opportunities, it also brings challenges like cyber security threats and misinformation, he urged EMBs to streamline strategies for addressing these technological challenges to effectively mitigate the risks.
Outlining key trends shaping the future of elections, including AI-driven processes, online and remote voting, biometric authentication and increased global collaboration, the CEC called upon all participants to explore the opportunities with technological advancements in making elections more transparent, inclusive and accessible.
He said the role of EMBs is not only in safeguarding electoral processes globally but also expanding their reach and impact.
The CEC further said that 2024 was a defining year as a test for EMBs for reaffirmation of democratic values amid challenging and complexities.
Referring to 2024 general elections, Kumar said that the elections were also more inclusive with greater participation especially among women, elderly aged 85+, persons with disabilities (PwDs) and the third gender.
Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that despite the magnitude of the challenge during the Lok Sabha elections, the election process upheld quality and set new benchmarks in the conduct of elections globally.
The EMBs, which made presentations on their electoral experience in 2024, placed their concerns regarding disinformation, misinformation and fake narratives on social media affecting electoral integrity in live elections.
CEC of Mauritius Abdool Rahman also stressed on the menace of fake news to undermine the electorate’s trust in the EMBs.
Dasho Sonam Topgay,Bhutan CEC, thanked India for providing EVMs and lauded the process efficiencies brought in by EVMs since their use in the election in Bhutan. He said that EVMs have won the trust of people in Bhutan.
Speaking on digital IDs, Topgay said that Bhutan has a biometric Unified National ID which is used for voter authentication.
He said that Bhutan is exploring the possibility of online voting in future elections.