ECI upgrades mechanism for Index Cards on electoral data, replaces manual entry

The Index Card forms the foundation for generating about 35 Statistical Reports for Lok Sabha elections, and 14 Statistical Reports for State Assembly elections. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday (June 5, 2025) said it had upgraded the mechanism for generating Index Cards, making it more technology-driven. The Index Card is a non-statutory, post-election statistical reporting format that promotes accessibility of election-related data at the constituency-level for all stakeholders, including researchers, academia, and policymakers.

This upgraded mechanism replaces the traditional manual methods, which were often time-consuming and prone to delays. By leveraging automation and data integration, the new system ensures faster reporting, the ECI said in a statement.

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Earlier, the information was manually filled at the constituency-level, using various statutory formats in physical Index Cards. These physical Index Cards were subsequently used for data entry into the online system to facilitate the generation of Statistical Reports. The manual, multi-layered process was time-consuming and frequently led to delays in data availability and dissemination.

Designed to disseminate data across multiple dimensions, including candidates, electors, votes polled, votes counted, party-wise and candidate-wise vote share, gender-based voting patterns, regional variations, and the performance of political parties — the Index Card forms the foundation for generating about 35 Statistical Reports for Lok Sabha elections, and 14 Statistical Reports for State Assembly elections.

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These reports cover variables, including State/PC (parliamentary constituency)/AC (Assembly constituency)-wise elector details, number of polling stations, State and constituency-wise voter turnout, participation of women electors, performance of national/State parties and Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs), winning candidates’ analyses, detailed constituency-wise results, and summary data reports.

The Statistical Reports are meant solely for academic and research purposes, and are based on secondary data from Index Cards, while the primary and final data remains in the statutory forms maintained by the concerned Returning Officers.

Published - June 05, 2025 07:45 pm IST