Discover How ECINET Empowers Voters Ahead of 2026 Elections!
Empowering Voters with ECINET
New Delhi: On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) urged voters to utilize the ECINET platform to gather information regarding candidates' educational backgrounds and any criminal records ahead of the upcoming Assembly Elections and by-elections set for 2026.
In a recent press statement, the ECI emphasized the significance of making informed choices at the polls, noting that citizens can conveniently access essential information about candidates through the 'Know Your Candidates' feature on ECINET.
The Commission revealed that it had released the election schedule for the Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, in addition to bye-elections for eight Assembly seats across Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura on March 15.
As per the ECI, there are 1,955 candidates competing in the elections for the Assemblies of Assam and Kerala, the Union Territory of Puducherry, and bye-elections in four states slated for April 9.
The election body also mentioned that the nomination process for the Assembly elections in West Bengal (Phases I and II) and Tamil Nadu has commenced. The deadline for withdrawing candidacies is April 9 for Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase I), and April 13 for West Bengal (Phase II).
Voters can access the 'Know Your Candidates' feature under the 'Conduct of Elections' section on ECINET to find comprehensive details, including candidates' criminal histories, assets and liabilities, educational qualifications, and verified social media accounts. The platform also enables users to download the complete affidavit (Form 26) submitted by candidates.
The ECI described ECINET as the largest electoral service platform globally, integrating over 40 applications and portals to enhance the voting experience in the world's largest democracy.
This platform provides a variety of services, such as voter registration, electoral roll searches, application tracking, communication with election officials, booking calls with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), e-EPIC downloads, polling trends, and grievance redressal.
Moreover, ECINET offers a single-window system for real-time information access and complaint resolution. It also features tools like cVIGIL for reporting electoral violations and Saksham to ensure accessible voting services for individuals with disabilities, according to the Commission.