West Bengal Chief Minister has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of facilitating voter duplication by allowing the same Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers for multiple voters across different states. 

• The ECI has denied any electoral malpractice, attributing the issue to legacy data errors before the introduction of ERONET (Electoral Roll Management System). 

What is an EPIC Number? 

• About: The EPIC number, introduced in 1993 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, is a 10-digit alphanumeric voter ID number issued by the ECI to each registered voter. It is designed to prevent voter impersonation and electoral fraud. 
• Issuance and Digital Management: The EPIC number is generated via ERONET. 
  • ERONET is a web-based platform for election officials to manage registration, migration, and deletion of names from electoral rolls, automating the electoral roll process in multiple languages and scripts. 
• Importance: It serves as a unique identifier linking a voter to their photo, constituency, and polling station. 
  • A mismatch in EPIC records could lead to voter disenfranchisement or manipulation. 
• EPIC Duplication Issue: ECI admitted that duplicate EPIC numbers occurred due to manual data entry and decentralized systems before ERONET. 
• ECI Stance on EPIC Issue: ECI clarified that EPIC numbers alone don't determine voting eligibility, voters can only vote at their registered polling station. Even with identical EPIC numbers, demographic details, polling booths, and constituencies are unique across states. 
  • The ECI assured that ERONET 2.0 would be updated to eliminate duplicate EPIC numbers. 

Electronic Voting Machine 

EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) is a device used to electronically record and count votes in elections. The Indian EVM, also known as ECI-EVM, consists of Ballot Unit (BU), Control Unit (CU) and the later added Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).  The CU, operated by polling officials, and the BU, where voters cast their votes. VVPAT is a system linked to the EVMs, allowing voters to verify that their vote has been correctly recorded.