Election Commission Resolves 20-Year-Old Duplicate EPIC Number Issue, Issues New Voter IDs
Election Commission of India resolves duplicate EPIC numbers, issues new voter IDs to over 99 crore electors, ensuring accurate electoral rolls.
New Delhi, May 13, 2025 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has successfully resolved a nearly two-decade-old issue involving duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, ensuring the integrity of the country's electoral rolls. The problem, which originated in 2005 due to decentralized and inconsistent numbering practices, has now been addressed with the issuance of new EPIC cards bearing unique numbers to all affected electors. This milestone underscores the ECI’s ongoing efforts to maintain a robust and accurate electoral database, which currently encompasses over 99 crore registered voters across India.
The issue of duplicate EPIC numbers came to public attention earlier this year when political parties, notably the Trinamool Congress, flagged instances of voters in different states sharing identical voter ID numbers. The ECI acknowledged that the problem stemmed from a decentralized system in place since 2005, where various States and Union Territories used Assembly Constituency-wise alphanumeric series independently. This led to some Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) inadvertently assigning identical EPIC numbers to genuine electors in different constituencies.
To address the issue, the ECI launched a comprehensive nationwide verification process. Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all States and Union Territories, along with EROs overseeing assembly constituencies and polling stations, conducted an exhaustive search of the electoral database. Field-level verifications confirmed that electors with duplicate EPIC numbers were legitimate voters registered in distinct constituencies and polling stations. The ECI clarified that the duplication did not enable fraudulent voting, as each voter could only cast their vote at their designated polling station, regardless of their EPIC number.
In a statement, the ECI noted, “The resolution of this long-pending issue reflects our commitment to ensuring a unique national EPIC number for every voter. Sample inquiries of over 100 electors with duplicate numbers confirmed they were genuine, and all such electors have now been issued new EPIC cards with unique identifiers.” The transition to the centralized ERONET platform, which integrates electoral roll databases nationwide, has been instrumental in detecting and rectifying these errors. The ECI has also upgraded to ERONET 2.0 to prevent future duplications.
The resolution process, completed within a three-month deadline set in March 2025, involved detailed discussions with technical teams and state CEOs. The ECI’s efforts were further supported by consultations with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to explore linking Aadhaar with EPIC numbers, a move aimed at enhancing voter roll accuracy. However, the ECI has emphasized that Aadhaar linkage remains voluntary, in line with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Supreme Court guidelines.
Political parties have responded variably to the ECI’s actions. The Trinamool Congress, which initially raised concerns about duplicate EPIC numbers, welcomed the resolution but urged greater transparency in electoral roll updates. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had previously called for discussions on voter list irregularities, emphasized the importance of safeguarding democratic processes. The ECI has invited suggestions from all national and state political parties by April 30, 2025, to address any remaining electoral concerns, reinforcing its commitment to stakeholder engagement.
The ECI’s electoral database, one of the largest in the world, is updated annually through the Special Summary Revision (SSR) conducted between October and December, with final rolls published in January. Additional revisions occur in poll-bound states to ensure accuracy before elections. The resolution of the duplicate EPIC issue is a significant step toward strengthening India’s electoral framework, which supports over 99 crore voters across thousands of polling stations.
An ECI official told News18, “This resolution not only addresses a technical glitch but also reinforces public trust in the electoral process. The issuance of new EPIC cards ensures that every voter’s identity is uniquely recognized.” The ECI has assured that voting rights remained unaffected during the transition, as electors were permitted to vote at their designated polling stations despite any EPIC number mismatches.
The successful resolution of this issue highlights the ECI’s proactive approach to electoral reform. By addressing a legacy problem dating back to 2005, the Commission has taken a critical step toward ensuring the sanctity of India’s electoral rolls, paving the way for more transparent and fair elections in the future.
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