Ranchi hosts international conference on voter registration, electoral rolls
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, Sept 2: A two-day international conference on “Voter Registration and Voter Registers 2026” began at the National…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Sept 2: A two-day international conference on “Voter Registration and Voter Registers 2026” began at the National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi, on Wednesday, bringing together election officials, academicians, researchers and experts to discuss ways to make voter registration and electoral roll management more inclusive, accurate and credible.
The conference has been organised by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jharkhand, in collaboration with the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ). IIM Ranchi, NUSRL Ranchi and St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, are the knowledge partners.
Principal Secretary of the Election Commission of India Arvind Anand attended the inaugural session as chief guest. Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar, CUJ Vice-Chancellor Prof Sarang Medhekar, NUSRL Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Ashok R. Patil and St Xavier’s College Principal Dr Father Robert Pradeep Kujur were among those present.
58 research papers selected for conference
The conference aims to look beyond the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and examine voter registration from national and international perspectives.
CEO K. Ravi Kumar said more than 800 universities and institutions were approached for the conference, resulting in 230 abstracts. An independent academic expert committee shortlisted 80 abstracts, of which 58 research papers were finally selected for publication and discussion.
He said the conference would provide an open academic platform to examine voter registration systems and learn from international experiences.
“Integrating practical election management experiences with academic research will help make voter list management more inclusive and credible,” Kumar said.
He noted that countries across the world follow active, automated and hybrid voter registration systems, increasingly using population databases, civil registries, biometrics and continuous updating mechanisms.
Kumar said India has a constitutional and legal framework backed by extensive field verification and participation of political parties and other stakeholders. The objective, he said, is to ensure that every eligible citizen is included in the electoral roll while preventing the inclusion of ineligible persons.
Focus on technology, inclusion and accuracy
Kumar said technology and database-driven verification were increasingly being used to identify discrepancies and improve the accuracy of voter records.
At the same time, he stressed that electoral roll management involves field verification, participation of political parties and stakeholders, judicial review and the overall supervision and control of the Election Commission of India.
The research papers and key findings emerging from the two-day deliberations will be preserved and published in both physical and free digital formats, creating a knowledge resource for future research and election administration.
‘Electoral roll is gateway to democracy’
NUSRL Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Ashok R. Patil said the electoral roll was the gateway to democratic participation and that credible elections depended on an accurate, inclusive and regularly updated roll.
He said electoral roll management must balance accuracy, inclusion, accessibility, transparency and accountability. While technology could improve operational efficiency, he cautioned that it should not replace human judgment and discretion.
The ultimate objective, Patil said, should be to ensure that no eligible citizen is left out and no ineligible person is included.
St Xavier’s College Principal Dr Father Robert Pradeep Kujur stressed the role of educational institutions in strengthening democracy through voter awareness, campus registration drives and civic education.
He highlighted challenges arising from migration, urbanisation and technological changes, while stressing the need to ensure participation of residents and marginalised communities.
Kujur also raised issues concerning data accuracy, privacy, accessibility, responsible use of technology and artificial intelligence, and the need to maintain public trust in the electoral system.
Migration, AI and emerging election challenges
CUJ Vice-Chancellor Prof Sarang Medhekar said the partnership between the university and the CEO’s office had brought together academic research and practical experience in election management.
He noted that conducting elections in a country as large as India requires extensive logistical arrangements and trained professionals, while emerging technologies and artificial intelligence are creating both new opportunities and challenges.
He expressed confidence that the conference would help bridge the gap between academia and election administration and generate practical recommendations for improving voter registration and electoral roll management.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Subodh Kumar, in his welcome address, said citizens and voters were at the heart of the democratic process.
He stressed the need for continuous updating of electoral rolls in view of migration, urbanisation, demographic changes and the addition of young voters.
Referring to the ongoing SIR in Jharkhand, he said efforts were being made to ensure that no eligible citizen was excluded from the electoral roll and no ineligible person was included.
The inaugural session also witnessed the release of two conference volumes — “Voter Registration and Voter Registers: Foundations, Global Practice, and Legal Framework (Vol. 1)” and “Voter Registration and Voter Registers: Theory, Awareness, Inclusion, and Technology (Vol. 2)” — along with a souvenir.
Key areas under discussion
The two-day conference will deliberate on issues including citizenship, global voter registration practices, technology, voter awareness, gender and migrant voters, inclusion, electoral roll accuracy, data privacy and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
