Local polls: candidate setting begins; social media monitoring tightened

Thiruvananthapuram: Candidate setting for the voting machines used in the upcoming local body elections will begin tomorrow. The number of ballot units required in each constituency is determined by the number of contesting candidates. At the panchayat level, three ballot units and one control unit are arranged for the village, block, and district panchayat elections. At the municipality and corporation levels, one ballot unit and one control unit each are used.

Each ballot unit carries a ballot label displaying the serial number, name, and symbol of every candidate contesting in that tier. Candidate setting is conducted in the presence of the candidates and their representatives. Ballot labels for village panchayats are white, for block panchayats pink, and for district panchayats light blue. Municipal elections also use white ballot labels.

Since no constituency in this election has more than 15 candidates, a single ballot unit per tier will suffice in all booths. After candidate setting, mock polls will be conducted on selected machines. The mock poll results will be shown to the political party representatives and candidates present. The results will then be cleared, and the machines stored in the strong room.

On the day before polling, the machines will be handed over to polling officials along with other polling materials. On polling day, a mock poll will be held at 6 am at each polling station in the presence of polling agents and candidates. Voting will begin at 7 am.

Amid heightened election campaigning, State Election Commissioner A Shajahan has ordered strict monitoring of social media reels and other digital content. The Police Cyber Wing has been directed to monitor the reels, posts, and discussions shared by candidates, political parties, and organisations on their social media pages and WhatsApp groups.

Parody songs, voice clips, videos, animations, and image cards circulated in local WhatsApp groups as part of the campaign will be closely monitored. Referring to individuals’ private details such as caste or religion in campaign announcements is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Strict action will be taken if false, defamatory, or prohibited content is detected or complaints are received, the Commissioner said.

Strong action will also follow against the creation or use of fake images, altered voices, or misleading information produced through technologies such as artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and voice-changing tools for election campaigns. All provisions under the IT Act 2000, IT (Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, and the Model Code of Conduct must be strictly followed in the creation and dissemination of election-related content.

If fake or misleading posts are found on the official social media platforms of political parties, they must be removed within three hours, and those responsible must be warned. Fake accounts and unlawful content should be reported to the respective platforms. Candidates, political parties, and campaigners must ensure fairness and credibility in their campaigns. Everyone must cooperate to ensure that technology is not misused during the elections, the Commissioner added.