Election Personnel Management System (EPMS)

Abhishek Singh, District Election Officer, West Tripura district Agartala, Tripura

EPMS- RELEVANCE?

• Elections- Polling & Counting personnel- key persons • Enormous amount resources deployed Information overload • Complying with ECI’s latest instructions • Postal ballots & EDCs • Welfare of personnel deployed • Record keeping & documentation • Error free, cost & time efficient processes

ELECTION PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM • A web based solution for creation of comprehensive database, engagement, deployment & management of polling & counting personnel with generation of necessary reports & documents • Management of Form 12/ 12 A for Postal ballots & EDCs during Parliamentary elections • Randomization of polling/ counting personnel • Training of polling/ counting personnel • Miscellaneous- SMS alerts

EPMS • A GENERAL SOFTWARE DESIGNED BY NATIONAL INFORMATICS CENTRE (DISTRICT UNIT) FOR POLLING & COUNTING PERSONNEL • TO PROVIDE REAL TIME SOLUTION • ROLE BASED SOFTWARE WRITTEN IN OPEN SOURCE • THE HIGH END SERVER AT STATE DATA CENTRE MAINTAIN THE DATA SECURITY AND MANAGEMENT • THE SAME SOFTWARE HAD BEEN CUSTOMIZED FOR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2013 AND PANCHAYAT ELECTION 2014

Stakeholders • Line Department- Decentralized Data Entry through web application.

• ERO/ RO [SDM] • RO/ District Election Officer • Election Department • Observers • Same application was used by Arunachal Pradesh in last Loksabha Election 2014

Layers of the EPMS (Ascending) Multilayer- Authorization 1 2 3 Data Entry Operator (Offices) ERO/ RO (SDMs) DEO (District Election Officer)

Roles of the Stakeholders Master data, i.e. Polling Stations etc. Entry RO's Office Details Entry Entry of Training Schedules and Venues under the Sub-division Employee Data Entry for the offices  This User is authorised to do the task under one of the Returning Officer (Sub-Division)

Roles of the Stakeholders (Cont...) Validation of every records entered by Operator under ERO/ RO's Jurisdiction Correction of records (if Required) Finalization of Records(Employee Data) Entry Printing of Appointment letter (Individual and Team) Request for Individual Exemption to DEO in unavoidable situation  This User/Role is assumed as for SDM and there may be more than one AC under the RO

Roles of the Stakeholders (Cont...) Office details and Signature upload of DEO Mass exemption w.r.t. Category of Employee (e.g. Night Guard/DWS/Medical facility etc.) Three Lavel of Randomization (i.e. Selection/Team/Deployment) Request and Approval of Individual Exemption Misc.- Finalization of the time for release of deployment list  This User/Role is assumed as for DM & Collector and it would be operation for entire district.

Overall workflow Entry of Records by Operator Verification and Validation of Records by RO 1st Round randomization by DEO Printing of Individual Appointment letter by RO/SDM Request for Individual Exemption by RO/DEO Approval of Individual Exemption by DEO 2nd Round randomization by DEO(Team Formation) Printing Team Appointment letter/ID Card by RO/SDM/ SMS 3rd Randomization by DEO (Deployment of Team to the Polling Station) and Setting of Report Release datetime for each Constituency Deployment Report, sms alerts, transportation plan communication plans add-ons

ELECTION PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Data Entry Screen

Master Record to be prepared

• List of Departments and their Office Addresses • Assembly Constituencies (AC) in the District • No. and Name of Polling Stations in each of the ACs in the District • Sub-division wise Training Center and Dates for polling personnel • AC-Wise Dispersal Center and reporting time of the polling personnel.

• Counting hall details • Communication plan for polling station

Data entry & Randomization

1. Polling Personnel Data entry at decentralised level 2. Data verification & validation at RO/ SDM Offices at the application.

3. General exemption to the personnel related to essential services like Driver, Cook, Night guard, pump operator, retirement in 1 month etc.

4. 1 st Stage Randomization    Random selection of 120% of required Polling Personnel Providing role to each personnel like Presiding, 1 st polling etc.

Issuance of individual appointment letter to each personnel.

5. Individual Exemption with substitution (for genuine reasons when applied by appointed person or authority)

Data entry & Randomization

(contd.): 6. 2 nd Stage Randomization (in presence of observer)   Random formation of 110% of required no. of polling teams as per the criteria defined by ECI.

Issuance of Team appointment letter after formation.

7. 3 rd Stage Randomization  Random Deployment of Polling Teams to Polling Stations as per the criteria defined by ECI.

ELECTION PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Data Collection Format

Data Verification

1. While Data entry, software validation will automatically check most of the wrong/Improper entry.

2. SDM/ RO can check record Office-wise. After finally data entry is done, SDM/RO can print the authorization letter with full employee list and send it to respective authority (Link “Validate Employee List”) 3. SDM/ RO may check different Reports by the application for monitoring and verification.

Appointment Letter Generation

1. The DEO/RO can generate Appointment Letter to the selected personnel after Randomization. 2. A draft appointment letter can be found here 3. Training details with mobile numbers 4. Appointment letters may be printed at respective level- not to be carried physically

Automatic generation of Postal Ballot/EDC [Form 12 / Form 12 A]  After 1 st stage of randomization the prescribed format for applying for postal ballot paper (Form 12) / Election Duty Certificate (Form 12 A) with printed details alongwith appointment letter of selected polling personnel(.)  During 1 st MOCKPOLL the Polling Personnel submit the Form 12/ 12 A after checking the details printed regarding AC No, Part No and Serial No in Electoral Roll and addressed to the concerned ERO (SDM) where his /her name is enrolled in voter list.

Form 12

Form 12 A

5. Individual exemption with substitution ( when applied for ) 1.

2.

3.

4.

After First Stage Randomization RO may recommend any individual request of polling personnel for exemption due to some genuine reason. SDM/ RO’s recommendation will go to DEO for approval.

DEO can Approve the proposal from DEO Role and substitute it with another randomly selected person and generate the Appointment letter for the newly appointed person.

In the application, it will find the database of persons left out in 1 st randomization, with the same Rank. If no person is found for the replacement, the exemption cannot be done and unfortunately the request could not be approved for shortage of employee.

If approved, RO can print and issue the appointment to the newly appointed personnel.

SMS integration with Election Personnel Monitoring System SMS integration is done by SMS gateway of election department where  SMS alerts are sent to the registered mobile no. of Polling Personnel making them aware of the date, time and venue of training of 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd phases of mockpoll and details of dispersal centre, reporting for inter-subdivision movement etc.

Pre-poll & Poll Day Events  Communication plan of respective polling stations- mobile no. of Pr. Officers  Polling team is assigned to transportation plan against the vehicle assigned  Broadcast messages to Presiding officer regarding general instructions like sending of safe arrival report, two hourly reports etc.

Reports Generated for Renumeration  Renumeration to Polling Personnel is made on movement day in cash from the dispersal centre and the software calculates the amount along with APR.

 Receipt is also generated. After payment no outstanding dues are lying pending.

 Before releasing the polling personnel, generation of no-dues or release orders

Reports Generated after 1 st stage randomization  Print Individual Appointment Letter  Print Rank Wise Polling Personnel for Office Use  Individual Exemption Report Employee List after Stage-I  Sub-Division wise Generate Form-12/ 12 A  Polling Personnel not selected in 1st Randomization  Other user specific reports as may be required

Print Rank Wise Polling Personnel for Office Use

Individual Exemption Report Employee List after Stage-I

Employee List Sub Division Wise

Sub-Division wise Generate Form-12

Polling Personnel not selected in 1st Randomization

Reports Generated after 2 nd stage randomization  Team Appointment Letter  All Team Detail Constituency Wise  Generate ID Card Polling Constituency Wise  Generate ID Card as per Data Entry Subdivision Wise  Generate Form 12/ 12A Employee List after Stage-II  Sub-Division wise Movement List Of Polling Person  Polling Personnel NOT selected in 2nd Randomization  Sub-division wise NOT Deployed List Generate  Remuneration for Polling Parties  APR for remuneration  Sms alerts for training details, facilitation centers for PBs

Team Appointment Letter after 2 nd Stage

Polling Personnel list not deployed after 2 nd stage

Sub Division Wise Movement List

Sub Division Wise not deployed list

Reports generated after 3 rd stage randomization  Deployment list of Polling team to Polling Station generated after 3 rd stage randomization  Sms alerts for the reporting for inter subdivision movement & dispersal polling parties  Updated Transportation communication plans plan &

OPERATOR SCREEN

Returning Officer Screen

District Election Officer

OPERATOR MIS REPORT

ARO MIS REPORT

DEO ENTRY

Counting Application Software  It is also a part of EPMS  Data filtration from the main database as per min. essential qualification  Data verification & validation at SDM.

 Approval & generation of Appointment letter at RO level.

Randomization for counting officials  1 st stage randomization counting officials selected randomly for attend training on MOCKCounting in EVM.

 2 nd stage randomization counting supervisor and counting assistant select randomly for team formation.

 3 rd stage randomization counting team assign the counting table randomly on the day of counting.

 All randomization presence of observer process done in

Randomization in Counting Process  1 st stage randomization 120% has been taken as per requirement.

 2 nd stage randomization 110% has been taken according to the total requirement.

 3 rd stage randomization counting team deploy to the counting table.

 The same software uses for the above process of counting of votes.

Appointment letter to counting Personnel

Counting Team formation after 2 nd stage of randomization

The way forward…

• Authorisation through DSCs • Linking with Polling stations on GIS platform • Incorporation of Vulnerability mapping & criticality analysis • Management of Micro-Observers from Observer specific window • Comprehensive communication & Transportation plan • PB facilitation for all categories