Election Commission's 'cVIGIL' App Lets Voters Report Fraud In India: How To Use

Election Commission's new "cVIGIL" app can now be used in India to report corruption during voting. Five states in India are set to have elections in the coming months - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa.

"cVIGIL" stands for Vigilant Citizen and was launched by Chief Election Commissioner of India Sushil Chandra in a conference on Saturday.

The app gives power to onlookers and voters to report instances of malpractices and corruption during voting. Any violation of the Model Code of Conduct may be reported in the app. According to Chandra, ECI officials will appear on the spot within 100 minutes after a report is logged on the cVIGIL app. Voters can also report expenditure violations on the app.

Representational Image/PTI

How does cVIGIL work?

To report instances of voting corruption, simply click an image and upload it on the app, after which election officials will show up within 100 minutes to address the issue.

cVIGIL

The app is currently available on the Google Play Store and has been designed to be operated by everyone. The app may be used to report violations for by-polls, assembly elections, and parliamentary elections.

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With help from images or videos, the app automatically logs the location of the reported malpractice, alerting election officers. If your Android phone runs Jellybean and above, you can install this app easily.

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To run the app and to report corruption, you need internet connection and camera capability. An image or a two-minute long video is enough to warrant a response from election officers. If you notice multiple issues at a voting site, you may report them separately - for each complaint has its unique ID that voters may follow. Don't want to reveal your name? Simply report the issue anonymously.

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Once reported, citizens are connected to the District Control Room, or a field unit of flying squads to enable a quick response.

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Voting is set to take place in five states in a phased manner. The seven phases of election in different states at different times are as follows - Uttar Pradesh (February 7 to March 7), Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa (February 14), and Manipur (February 27 and March 3).

What do you think about this much-needed solution to prevent election fraud in India? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.