'Trade secrets': What powers SIR's voter-roll checks? EC declines to reveal software details

The Election Commission (EC) has refused to disclose the name and version of the software used to detect errors and anomalies in electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), citing commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property rights (IPR) exemptions under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, according to a report by Times of India.

In its October 16 reply to an RTI application, the poll body said no new software had been developed or procured for the SIR exercise. It added that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) decide whether to include or exclude an elector based on facts and records.

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The response came after social activist M A Mujeeb Ayyub, from Karimpur in Telangana, sought details of the technology used in the voter-roll revision process in an application dated July 27.

EC says no new software was developed or procured

Ayyub had asked the EC to identify the software, application, algorithm or artificial intelligence (AI) platform used to detect errors, anomalies or inconsistencies in electoral rolls during SIR.

He also sought to establish whether the system automatically flagged voter records for verification, correction or deletion and, if so, what process was followed after such records were identified.

The application further sought details on whether AI, machine learning, predictive analytics or automated decision-support systems were used at any stage of the exercise.

The EC, however, declined to share the software's name and version, classifying the information as exempt on grounds of commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property.

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EC says some RTI queries do not qualify as information

On questions about the use of automated systems and the workflow followed after records were flagged, the EC said the queries sought a “clarification which does not come under the information as per Section 2(f) of RTI Act”.

An EC official said details of software and algorithms were conventionally not shared in response to RTI applications.

The approach is not limited to the election body's software-related disclosures. Electronic voting machine manufacturers Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd have also previously declined to share EVM source codes in response to RTI queries.

(With inputs from ToI)