Election Commission of India

Objective :
 Computerized tracking of the election process with the critically
important objective of being able to take timely action in real time.

 It is an ‘Event based management system’ – from the time of dispatch

till the time of deposition of election material after return of parties.

 Polling parties are distributed in remote locations, so the challenge is

to get the information timely

 Events can be of predetermined nature ( e.g. Polling party

dispatched, arrived etc.) or of non-predetermined nature (e.g.
Incidents of violence). Both types of events need to trigger action on
getting recorded into the system.
Why SMS ?
SMS is a very easy and convenient technology that can be
used for a wide range of applications. Although it has the
widest reach of all the mobile technologies today.

Incorporates Time delay option, i.e. the recipients phone

being busy does not matter to the sender of SMSs.

Automatic
 Automatic sending of SMSs to the persons who are not reporting
within scheduled / expected time limits.
 Automatic sending of SMSs to police stations, magistrates etc. on
receipt of reports of events like violence etc. from polling booths,
sector officers etc.
Information from the polling stations
Pre poll-
Safe arrival of polling party at polling
station.
Mock poll conducted.
Information from the polling stations
During poll-
 Poll started.
 9 am Report (Male,Female,Others)count.
 11 am Report (Male,Female,Others)count.
 1 pm Report (Male,Female,Others)count.
 3 pm Report (Male,Female,Others)count.
 5 pm Report (Male,Female,Others)count.
 Voters in queue at the closure of poll.

Exception reports-
 Poll Interrupted due to EVM Non-Functioning.
 Poll interruption due to Law & Order problem.
 Poll interruption due to other Problem.
 Problem resolved
Information from the polling stations
After poll-
Final voter turnout.
Safe arrival of polling party at Record

Room.
SMS Gateway Services from NIC makes it easy to stay connected with all mobile service
operators. We have a wide range of mobile communication solutions including Web
SMS and SMS API Interfaces. The SMS Gateway should be reliable, fast, cost effective
and covers almost all operators in the India.
Process of SMS based monitoring system
Step 1:- Mobile Registration.
 RO (Returning officer)
 ARO (Assistant Returning officer)

 SO (Sector officer)

 PO (Presiding officer)

Step 2:- Send Events & Time based reports.

 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer

 Reports by RO/ARO/SO

(if PO does not carry mobile phone with them or

Mobile Phone of PO, for some reasons beyond
control, fails to send SMS)
Roles
Chief electoral officer
 Can monitor the whole SMS poll monitoring system online.
 Can edit details of any polling station online if PO is getting any

problem in sending SMS.

Returning officer
 Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any problem with
sending SMS, CEO can do it online on behalf of RO.
 Will get an SMS if there exist any problem in any polling station.

Assistant returning officer

 Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any problem with
sending SMS, CEO can do it online on behalf of RO.
 Will get an SMS if there exist any problem in any polling station.
Roles
Sector officer
 Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any
problem with SMS, CEO can do it online on behalf
of RO.
 Can send SMS on behalf of any polling station if PO

is getting any problem in sending SMS.

Presiding officer
 Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any
problem with SMS, CEO can do it online on behalf
of RO.
 Send Event and Information bases reports through

SMS.
SMS format-
SMS is designed in such a format that the message
received by the system(SMS gateway) through the
sender(RO/ARO/SO/PO) could be automatically
interpreted and updated into the database .

Keyword –’poll’ - All SMS format will start with this

keyword.
-
Example:- poll <space> other part of the message.
Message to be sent on

9212357123 – This is the virtual destination

number that we have
purchased from NIC to
receive messages from all over
India.
 SMS format- Mobile registration
For RO
Date of Registration- P-7 day
SMS syntax-
poll<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no<space>RO

e.g. poll S06 01 001 RO

For ARO
Date of Registration- P-7 day
SMS syntax-
poll<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no<space>ARO

e.g. poll S06 01 001 ARO

 SMS format- Mobile registration
For SO
Date of Registration- P-7 day
SMS syntax-
poll<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no<space>
SECTOR_NO <space> SO

e.g. poll S06 01 001 001 SO

For PO
Date of Registration- P-7 day
SMS syntax
poll<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no
<space>PS_NO <space>PO

e.g. poll S06 01 001 001 PO

 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer

•Event Safe Arrival of Polling Party at Polling Station

•Date of Registration P-2/P-1 Day
•Time of Registration Immediately after reaching Polling Station
•SMS syntax poll<space> SAP
•Remarks SAP- Polling Party Safely Arrived at the Polling station

•Event Mock Poll and attendance of polling agents

•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration Immediately after conduct of mock poll and before
commencement of poll
•SMS syntax poll<space> MP<space>04
•Remarks MP-Mock Poll Conducted, Last 2 digits stand for no. of
Polling agents present. As per the example polling agents
of 4 contesting candidates are present.
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Poll Started
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration Latest by 7:15 am
•SMS syntax poll<space>PS
•Remarks PS- Poll Started

•Event Report on 2 hourly (9AM)

•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration 9am
•SMS syntax poll<space>9AM<space>male,female,other

•Eg poll<space>9AM<space>111,98,02
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Report on 2 hourly (11AM)
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration 11am
•SMS syntax poll<space>11AM<space>male,female,other
•e.g. poll<space> 11AM<space>111,98,02

•Event Report on 2 hourly (1PM)

•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration 1 pm
•SMS syntax poll<space> 1PM<space>male,female,other
•Remarks poll<space> 1PM<space>111,98,02
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Report on 2 hourly (3PM)
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration 3pm
•SMS syntax poll<space> 3PM<space>male,female,other
e.g. poll<space> 3PM<space>111,98,02

•Event Report on 2 hourly(5PM)

•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration 5 pm
•SMS syntax poll<space> 1PM<space>male,female,other
•e.g. poll<space> 1PM<space>111,98,02
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Voters in queue at the closure of poll
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration Closure of poll
•SMS syntax poll<space> Q<space>10
Remarks Q – Stands for Voters in queue at the schedule time
for end of poll. 3 digits stand(s) for total number of voters in queue

•Event Final Voter Turnout

•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration After end of Poll
•SMS syntax poll<space> VT<space>male,female,other
e.g. poll<space> VT<space>454,381,002
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Safe arrival of Polling Party at RC after end of Poll
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration Immediately after reaching RC
•SMS syntax poll<space> SARC
•Remarks SARC – Stands for Safe arrival of Polling party at RC

•Event Poll Interrupted due to EVM Non-Functioning or

. apprehension of such problem
•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration Immediately after such type of situation
•SMS syntax poll<space> PROB<space>EVM
Remarks PROB- Problem, EVM- Problem of Electronic
Voting . Machine.
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Poll interrupted or apprehension of poll interruption
. due to Law & Order problem
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration Immediately after such type of situation arises
•SMS syntax poll<space> PROB<space>LW
•Remarks PROB- Problem, LW - Law & Order Problem.

•Event Poll Interrupted or there is a chance of poll

interruption . due to other Problem
•Date of Registration P-Day
•Time of Registration Immediately after such type of situation arises
•SMS syntax poll<space> PROB<space>OTH
•Remarks PROB- Problem, OTH – Other Problem
 Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer
•Event Problem resolved
•Date of Registration P day
•Time of Registration Immediately after problem is solved and poll is resumed
. in case
•SMS syntax poll<space>PRES
Remarks PRES means Problem resolved and poll resumed in case there is
. interruption.
If PO failed to send SMS?
Then
Returning Officer/Assistant Returning
Officer/Sector Officer can send SMS on behalf
of that PO
 Poll Report by Returning Officer/Assistant Returning
Officer/Sector Officer
Sl.
No. Event SMS syntax
1
Safe Arrival of poll<space>PS_NO<space>SAP
Polling Party at
e.g. poll<space>001<space> SAP
Polling Station
2
Mock Poll and poll <space>PS_NO<space>MP<space>04
attendance of polling
e.g. poll<space>001<space> MP<space>04
agents
3
Poll Started poll<space>PS_NO<space>PS
e.g. poll<space>001<space> PS
4
Report on 2 hourly poll<space>PS_NO<space>9AM<space>male,female,other
(9AM)
e.g. poll<space>001<space>9AM<space>111,98,02
5
Report on 2 hourly poll<space>PS_NO<space>11AM<space>male,female,other
(11AM) e.g. poll<space>001<space>11AM<space>111,98,02
 Poll Report by Returning Officer/Assistant Returning
Officer/Sector Officer
Sl.
No. Event SMS syntax
6
Report on 2 poll<space>PS_NO<space>1PM<space>male,female,other
hourly (1PM) e.g. poll<space>001<space>1PM<space>111,98,02

7
Report on 2 poll<space>PS_NO<space>3PM<space>male,female,other
hourly (3PM) e.g. poll<space>001<space>3PM<space>111,98,02

8
Report on 2 poll<space>PS_NO<space>5PM<space>male,female,other
hourly(5PM) e.g. poll<space>001<space>5PM<space>111,98,02

9
Voters in poll<space>PS_NO<space>Q<space>voters in Queue
queue at the e.g. poll<space>001<space>Q<space>10
closure of poll
10
Final Voter poll<space>PS_NO<space>VT<space>male,female,other
Turnout e.g. poll<space>001<space>VT<space>454,381,002
Sl. Event SMS syntax
No.
11 Safe arrival of Polling Party poll<space>PS_NO<space>SARC
at RC after end of Poll. poll<space>001<space>SARC
12 Poll Interrupted due to EVM poll<space>PROB<space>EVM<space>PS_NO
Non-Functioning or poll<space>PROB<space>EVM<space>001
apprehension of such
problem
13 Poll interrupted or
apprehension of poll poll<space> PROB<space>LW<space>PS_NO
interruption due to Law & poll<space> PROB<space>LW<space>001
Order problem
14 Poll Interrupted or there is poll<space> PROB<space>OTH<space>PS_NO
a chance of poll poll<space> PROB<space>OTH<space>001
interruption for any other
Problem
15 Problem as mentioned in Sl. poll<space>PRES<space>PS_NO
NO. 12,13,14 resolved poll<space>PRES<space>001
If SMS is not working then there will be provision
for reporting the poll information through the
website
Training to Presiding officer
How to send SMS.
About the keyword ’poll’.
About the different types of SMS formats.
When to send SMS (each SMS has to be send on certain
event or time).
Where to send SMS (each SMS has to be send on a
particular no. given by ECI of CEO office)
What to do if getting problem in sending SMS.
Importance of sending SMS accurately and timely.
Thanks