SC notice to Centre, EC & states on plea for finger, iris biometric voting at polling stations

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 13, 2026: The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of India, the Centre, and state governments on a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The plea seeks directions to implement finger and iris-based biometric identification at polling stations to curb electoral malpractices such as duplicate voting, impersonation, and ghost voting.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sought responses from the Election Commission, the Union government, and other stakeholders after hearing the petition.

The plea argued that electoral malpractices like bribery, undue influence, impersonation, and duplicate or ghost voting continue to undermine the integrity of the electoral process, causing significant harm to citizens. It emphasised that free and fair elections form part of the Constitution’s basic structure, and any gap in identity verification affects the legitimacy of electoral outcomes.

The petitioner contended that introducing biometric authentication could significantly enhance the integrity and accuracy of the election process. He suggested that the Election Commission consider implementing finger and iris-based verification at polling booths in upcoming Assembly elections, similar to Aadhaar-based identification recognised under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The plea noted that the Election Commission has plenary powers to introduce such measures.

According to the petition, biometric verification would ensure that only genuine and registered voters cast their ballots, effectively preventing malpractice. It added that biometric identifiers are unique and difficult to fabricate, thereby reinforcing the principle of “one citizen, one vote.”

The plea further highlighted that a transparent electoral process is essential to maintain public trust in democratic institutions. Biometric verification, it argued, would provide a tamper-proof and objective system of voter identification, enhancing confidence in the fairness of elections.

Additionally, the petitioner stated that biometric authentication could create secure and verifiable digital records of voter verification at polling stations. While maintaining voter secrecy, such records could serve as an audit trail, enabling efficient post-election audits and strengthening institutional accountability.