New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (EC) is preparing to roll out artificial intelligence tools to strengthen voter verification in West Bengal, where a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is currently underway. A senior EC official on Tuesday confirmed that AI-assisted systems will be used to flag fraudulent entries, including duplicate, fake, and deceased voters.
The new mechanism will scan voter photographs across the state’s database to detect repeated or suspiciously similar images—an approach aimed at curbing the misuse of voter photos, a problem that officials say has escalated in recent months. Complaints have particularly involved the photographs of migrant workers, whose identities are allegedly being used to create multiple entries.
“Due to a spike in complaints, especially about photos of migrant labourers being used without permission, we’re bringing in AI support,” the official told PTI. The system’s facial-matching algorithm is designed to automatically alert authorities when the same image appears in different sections of the rolls, pointing to possible duplication.
Despite the technological upgrade, the Election Commission has stressed that booth-level officers (BLOs) will remain the backbone of the verification exercise. The AI system, officials said, will only complement the on-ground checks performed by BLOs.
Even in cases where booth-level agents (BLAs) have filed completed applications on behalf of voters, BLOs are still mandated to visit households for in-person confirmation. BLOs must also collect signatures directly and verify them, while BLAs are being instructed to obtain handwritten declarations from voters confirming that forms were filled in their presence.
The Commission has also underlined strict accountability measures. If any instance of a fake or deceased voter surfaces after the verification and form submission stage, responsibility will be placed squarely on the BLO assigned to that polling station.
The introduction of AI marks one of the most significant technological interventions in Bengal’s electoral revision process and is expected to enhance the accuracy and integrity of the state’s voter rolls ahead of upcoming elections.
