Fake viral Whats app message is being circulated about how you can cast your vote.

April 8, 2019 Sulagna Sengupta

Spread the truth:

A message about voting is viral on Whats app with three claims.

“👉 When you reach poling booth and find that your name is not in voter list, just show your Aadhar card or voter ID and ask for ” challenge vote” under section 49A and cast your vote.
👉 If you find that someone has already cast your vote, then ask for “tender vote” and cast your vote.
👉If any polling booth records more than 14% tender votes, repolling will be conducted in such poling booth.
👉 Please share this very important message with maximum groups and friends as everyone should aware of their right to vote 👏👏“

V IMP : 1/2 👉 When you reach poling booth and find that your name is not in voter list, just show your Aadhar card or voter ID and ask for " challenge vote" under section 49A and cast your vote.
👉 If you find that someone has already cast your vote, then ask for "tender vote"

— Brinda (@b4politics) April 4, 2019

Truth

Election Commission(EC) officials replied to SMHoaxslayer’s query on Twitter who claimed that claim 1 and claim 3 are false while claim 2 is true.

Claim 1:“When you reach polling booth and find that your name is not in voter list, just show your Aadhar card or voter ID and ask for ” challenge vote” under section 49A and cast your vote.”

Sanjoy Basu, spokesperson of Chief Electoral Office(CEO) West Bengal said “ In case of claim 1 where it was mentioned that a voter can cast their vote even if their name is not on the electoral poll by just showing Aadhar card or voter ID card and ask for a challenge vote under section 49-A is completely fake. A person cannot vote unless his name has been enrolled in the electoral roll.”

According Election Commission’s handbook for presiding officers , it has been mentioned that the first presiding officer will establish the identity of the elector with the help of the electoral photo identity card issued by ERO.
Below is the screenshot of EC’s handbook.

Source : EC Handbook for Polling Agents

Claim2: “If you find that someone has already cast your vote, then ask for “tender vote” and cast your vote”.

According to Basu , this claim is true . The EC’s handbook also mentions that the presiding officer has the authority to tell the voter to cast his vote in ballot paper if he/ she finds herself that his/her vote has been casted.

Source : Election Commission handbook for Polling Agents .

Here is the twitter link of Election Commission of India.

Anyone whose name is not on the Voters' List can not vote.
There is a provision in the Law for a voter to cast Tendered vote, if on reaching the polling station, s/he finds that somebody has already cast a vote in her/his name. https://t.co/SBDKcD3K21

— ECI #DeshKaMahaTyohar (@ECISVEEP) April 7, 2019

Claim 3: “ If any polling booth records more than 14% tender votes, repolling will be conducted in such poling booth”

Basu said “ There is no legal provision for a repoll if the polling booth records more than 14 percent tender votes. EC can ordered repoll if it notices serious breaches. Example: A repoll can be conducted in a booth if Election Commission(EC) finds out that there has been mass scale rigging and violence in the area by scrutinising all videos, images and taking information from concerned poll officials who were on duty.”

SMHoaxSlayer also spoke with Sheyphali Sharan, official spokesperson of Election Commission of India(EC) who claimed that Claim1 and Claim 3 are absolutely fake and are being circulated to confused voters . We are aware of this fake Whatsapp message that has went viral and we will soon issue our official statement on this regard.”
On 5 April , Dr SY Qureshi former Election Commissioner of India has tweeted his views regarding the wats ap message that went viral.
Here is the twitter link of Dr SY Qureshi and below is the screen shot of the tweet.

If your name is NOT in the voter list (for whatever reason), you cannot do anything. That’s why you have to check your voter list in advance. If your name is in the list but your vote has been cast, then tendered vote. EC can order repol if it notices any serious breaches. https://t.co/gnSWasfDds

— Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) April 6, 2019

Screenshot of EC handbook