What is the EPIC Number?
- EPIC = Elector Photo Identity Card, issued by the Election Commission of India.
- A 10-digit alphanumeric code, meant to be unique for each registered voter.
- Intended to prevent impersonation and electoral fraud.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance , Elections)
The Problem: Duplication of EPIC Numbers
- Allegations of multiple voters having the same EPIC number:
- Raised by opposite parties
- Particularly flagged in West Bengal.
- On average, 1 voter in 4 polling stations (~25%) was found to have a duplicate EPIC number.
- With ~1,000 voters per polling station, the problem was widespread.
Verification and Resolution
- EC undertook a massive database verification:
- Covered 99 crore+ electors, all 36 States/UTs, 4,123 Assembly constituencies, and 10.5 lakh polling stations.
- Findings:
- Duplicate numbers were held by genuine voters, but from different constituencies.
- Action Taken:
- All such voters were issued new EPICs with fresh numbers.
- Duplication issue now officially resolved, says EC.
- EC’s clarification (Feb 29):
- Voter can vote only once, in their designated constituency.
- Same EPIC number across different constituencies does not enable multiple voting.
EC’s Final Position
- Duplicate EPICs had no impact on election outcomes:
- Because voting is location-specific, not EPIC number-specific.
- Every voter is registered in only one polling station, based on residency.
- Emphasized that the issue was administrative, not fraudulent.
