ELECTION

COMMISSION
 BACKGROUND

● The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative
Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.

● The Election Commission was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th
January 1950.

● On 16 October 1989, the voting age was changed from 21 to 18 years.

 COMPOSITION

● After the Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it has been made a multi-member body.

● The commission consists of one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

● HQ- New Delhi.

● At the state level election commission is helped by Chief Electoral Officer who is an IAS rank Officer.
 APPOINTMENT

• The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

• They have a fixed tenure of 6 years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

• They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of
India.

• The conditions of service and tenure of office of the Election Commissioners and the Regional
Commissioners shall be such as the President may by rule determine
 REMOVAL

• CEC - Like a Supreme Court Judge - motion by Parliament on grounds of Proven misbehaviour or
incapacity

• EC – On the recommendation of CEC

 FUNCTIONS

• Directs and controls the entire process of conducting elections to Parliament and Legislature of every
State and to the offices of President and Vice-President of India.

• Advices the President/Governor on electoral matters like disqualification

• Decides the election schedules whether general or bye-elections.

• It prepares electoral roll, issues Electronic Photo Identity Card (EPIC).

• It decides on the location polling stations, assignment of voters to the polling stations, location of counting
centres, arrangements to be made in and around polling stations and counting centres and all allied
matters.
 FUNCTIONS

• It grants recognition to political parties & allot election symbols to them along with settling disputes related
to it.

• The Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post election disqualification of sitting
members of Parliament and State Legislatures.

• It issues the Model Code of Conduct in election

• It sets limits of campaign expenditure per candidate to all the political parties, and also monitors the
same.
 ELECTORAL
BONDS
• State Bank of India is authorised to issue and encash these bonds.

• Can be purchased anonymously by donors and are valid for 15 days from the date of issue.

• These can be redeemed only by an eligible party by depositing the same in its designated
account maintained with a bank.

• The bonds are issued by SBI in denominations of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1
crore.
 Election Laws
(Amendment) Bill 2021
• Enabling the linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem

• Four qualifying dates will be declared for updating the voting rolls to include those who have turned 18 —
the first day of the months of January, April, July and October.

• ‘Wives of service voters’ will now be replaced by ‘spouse’. This will make the laws more “gender-neutral”.