The Election Commission’s provision of making the voter list available for sale has come under fire. Digital Rights Activists have blasted the authority’s decision to sell voter list details at a fee of up to Rs 10,000 to political parties and candidates. The watch group argues that the EC’s decision violates citizens’ right to personal privacy.
The activists have stated that the provision to sell the voter list contrasts with the spirit of the Constitution and the Personal Privacy Act, 2075 BS. It says that Section 2(c) of the Act defines voter ID as personal information and Section 3(3) ensures its confidentiality. Additionally, Sub-section (4) of the act restricts the publication of these details that might affect individuals’ privacy.
But the Election Commission has a provision in Chapter 4, Sections 10 and 12 of the ‘House of Representatives Member Election Directive, 2082 to provide digital copies of the voters to independent candidates and political parties.
Check out: Check Your Voter ID Card Online in 6 Easy Steps
Fee of voter ID details list
According to the provision, parties or candidates can obtain voter list details of the entire country for a fee of Rs 10,000. Similarly, voter details of a province can be obtained at Rs 5,000, and of a single district or constituency at Rs 3,000.
| Scope of Voter List | Fee (Rs) |
| Entire country | 10,000 |
| Province | 5,000 |
| Single district or constituency | 3,000 |
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What details are included?
EC has said that it provides voter list details, including their date of birth, citizenship number, and contact number. Buyers can get the details on a hard drive or a pen drive.
Digital Rights Nepal has stated that the election guidelines do not take the express consent of the voters before making such details public, and since this is not for the purpose of consuming any public service or in the context of a criminal investigation, it is considered a violation of the Act.
“Protection of voter details is not just a technical matter, but is directly related to the fundamental rights of citizens, the credibility of democracy, and public trust,” the statement by the digital right activists reads.
The group has also requested the commission to review the scope of personal details available on its portal.