Election Commission Confirms Barcode Tracking Can Reach Ballot Origin, Maintains Voting Secrecy

The Election Commission (EC) held a press conference addressing concerns about barcodes on election ballots. They explained that the barcodes are part of anti-forgery measures authorized by EC regulations, specifically Rule 129, which allows adding special codes or markings to ballots without prior notification. EC officials emphasized that the voting process remains direct and secret. Each voter signs before voting, and only the voter knows their ballot choice due to polling booth privacy. After voting, ballot boxes are sealed with multiple security layers, with ballots stored safely for two years to allow for potential challenges. The officials stressed that no one can access or tamper with ballot boxes, and the barcodes are purely a technical measure to prevent election fraud. Ballot origins are securely stored and separated from vote counts to maintain electoral integrity.