New Delhi: In a major voter-friendly initiative, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that mobile phone deposit counters will now be available at polling booths, offering relief to voters who earlier faced restrictions on carrying personal devices.
As per the new guidelines, voters can now hand over their mobile phones at designated counters before entering the polling station. The phones will be safeguarded by ECI staff and returned after voting. Voters will also be allowed to take a selfie after casting their vote and getting their finger inked.
This facility will first be implemented during the third phase of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the move aims to address “practical challenges faced by senior citizens, women, and persons with disabilities on polling day.”
The commission has also allowed political parties and candidates to set up temporary help desks within 100 metres of polling booth entrances—a relaxation from the previous 200-metre restriction. These desks will only be used to distribute unofficial voter slips.
However, the ECI has clarified that phones must be switched off within a 100-metre radius and strictly banned inside polling stations. Pigeonhole boxes or jute bags will be used to store the devices securely. Polling stations in sensitive areas may be exempted from the new rule, depending on the local situation as assessed by the returning officer.
