Sat Jun 21 11:38:04 UTC 2025: **Here’s a summary of the text:**
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is resisting demands to release webcasting footage of polling stations to the public. Officials argue that releasing this footage would violate voter privacy and security, potentially leading to harassment and intimidation. The ECI retains the footage for 45 days, aligning with the period for filing election petitions, after which it is destroyed to prevent misuse. The ECI emphasizes that maintaining voter privacy is non-negotiable. This stance comes after demands from opposition parties to release CCTV footage from past elections and a recent amendment to election rules preventing public inspection of certain electronic documents to prevent misuse.
**Here’s the rewritten news article:**
**Election Commission Refuses to Release Polling Station Webcasting Footage, Cites Privacy Concerns**
**New Delhi – June 21, 2025** – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected calls to make public the webcasting footage from polling stations, citing serious concerns over voter privacy and security. ECI officials stated on Saturday that releasing the footage would expose voters to potential harassment and intimidation.
The decision follows demands from opposition parties, including the Congress, to release post-5 pm CCTV footage from polling booths in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.
According to the ECI, making the footage publicly available would allow individuals or groups to easily identify how electors voted, or if they voted at all, leaving them vulnerable to pressure and discrimination. Officials argued that if a political party received fewer votes in a particular booth, they could use the footage to identify and potentially target voters.
The ECI clarified that it retains the CCTV footage for 45 days, the period allotted for filing election petitions. After this period, the footage is destroyed to prevent its misuse in spreading misinformation and malicious narratives.
“Maintaining privacy and secrecy of the elector is non-negotiable for the EC, ” said an ECI official, emphasizing the commission’s commitment to upholding the law and Supreme Court rulings.
In December 2024, the government amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, restricting public access to certain electronic documents, including CCTV and webcasting footage, based on the ECI’s recommendation. The ECI said this decision was prompted by recent instances of misuse of election-related content on social media, where selective and out-of-context use of such content has been used to spread misinformation.
The ECI maintains that while recording election processes through various means (photography, videography, CCTV, and webcasting) is not mandated by law, it serves as a crucial internal management tool during the election process.
The Election Commission has instructed its state poll officers to destroy footage after 45 days if the result is not challenged in court.
First Piper 