SMS based Poll Monitoring System Nodal Officer M

SMS based Poll Monitoring System Nodal Officer : M M Tiwari, Dy CEO (IT) Election Department, Rajasthan

Objective : Computerized tracking of the election process with the critically important objective of being able to take timely action in real time. It is an ‘Event based management system’ – from the time of dispatch till the time of deposition of election material after return of parties. Polling parties are distributed in remote locations, so the challenge is to get the information timely Events can be of predetermined nature ( eg. Polling party dispatched, arrived etc. ) or of non-predetermined nature (eg. Incidents of violence). Both types of events need to trigger action on getting recorded into the system.

Why sms ? SMS is a very easy and convenient technology that can be used for a wide range of applications. Although it has the widest reach of all the mobile technologies today. Incorporates Time delay option, i. e. the recipients phone being busy does not matter to the sender of SMSs. Automatic sending of SMSs to the persons who are not reporting within scheduled / expected time limits. Automatic sending of SMSs to police stations, magistrates etc. on receipt of reports of events like violence etc. from polling booths, sector officers etc.

Information from the polling stations Pre poll Safe arrival of polling party at polling station. Mock poll conducted.

Information from the polling stations During poll Poll started. 9 am Report (Male, Female, Others)count. 11 am Report (Male, Female, Others)count. 1 pm Report (Male, Female, Others)count. 3 pm Report (Male, Female, Others)count. 5 pm Report (Male, Female, Others)count. Voters in queue at the closure of poll. Exception reports Poll Interrupted due to EVM Non-Functioning. Poll interruption due to Law & Order problem. Poll interruption due to other Problem resolved

Information from the polling stations After poll Final voter turnout. Safe arrival of polling party at Record Room.

Process of SMS Gateway Services from NIC makes it easy to stay connected with all mobile service operators. We have a wide range of mobile communication solutions including Web SMS and SMS API Interfaces. The SMS Gateway should be reliable, fast, cost effective and covers almost all operators in the India.

Process of SMS based monitoring system Step 1: - Mobile Registration. RO (Returning officer) ARO (Assistant Returning officer) SO (Sector officer) PO (Presiding officer) Step 2: - Send Events & Time based reports. Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer Reports by RO/ARO/SO (if PO does not carry mobile phone with them or Mobile Phone of PO, for some reasons beyond control, fails to send SMS)

Roles Chief electoral officer Can monitor the whole sms poll monitoring system online. Can edit details of any polling station online if PO is getting any problem in sending sms. Returning officer Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any problem with sending sms, CEO can do it online on behalf of RO. Will get an sms if there exist any problem in any polling station. Assistant returning officer Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any problem with sending sms, CEO can do it online on behalf of RO. Will get an sms if there exist any problem in any polling station.

Roles Sector officer Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any problem with sms, CEO can do it online on behalf of RO. Can send sms on behalf of any polling station if PO is getting any problem in sending sms. Presiding officer Mobile registration through SMS or if getting any problem with sms, CEO can do it online on behalf of RO. Send Event and Information bases reports through SMS.

SMS format SMS is designed in such a format the message received by the system(sms gateway) through the sender(RO/ARO/SO/PO) could be automatically interpreted and updated into the database. Keyword –’pollrj’ - All sms format will start with this keyword. Example: - pollrj <space> other part of the message.

Message to be sent on 9251092103 – This is the virtual destination number that we have purchased from NIC to receive messages from all over India.

SMS format- Mobile registration For RO Date of Registration- P-7 day SMS syntaxpollrj<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no<space>RO Eg. pollrj S 06 01 001 RO For ARO Date of Registration- P-7 day SMS syntaxpollrj<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no<space>ARO Eg. pollrj S 06 01 001 ARO

SMS format- Mobile registration For SO Date of Registration- P-7 day SMS syntaxpollrj<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no<space> SECTOR_NO <space> SO Eg. pollrj S 06 01 001 SO For PO Date of Registration- P-2/P-1 day SMS syntax pollrj<space>State_code<space>Dist_no<space>Ac_no <space>PS_NO <space>PO Eg. pollrj S 06 01 001 PO,

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax • Remarks Safe Arrival of Polling Party at Polling Station • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration Mock Poll and attendance of polling agents • SMS syntax • Remarks pollrj<space> MP<space>04 P-2/P-1 Day Immediately after reaching Polling Station pollrj<space> SAP- Polling Party Safely Arrived at the Polling station P-Day Immediately after conduct of mock poll and before commencement of poll MP-Mock Poll Conducted, Last 2 digits stand for no. of Polling agents present. As per the example polling agents of 4 contesting candidates are present.

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax • Remarks Poll Started P day Latest by 8: 15 am pollrj<space>PS PS- Poll Started • Event Report on first one hourly (9 AM) • Date of Registration P-Day • Time of Registration 9 am • SMS syntax pollrj<space>9 AM<space>male, female, other • Eg pollrj<space>9 AM<space>111, 98, 02

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax • Eg. Report on 2 hourly (11 AM) P day 11 am pollrj<space>11 AM<space>male, female, other pollrj<space> 11 AM<space>111, 98, 02 • Event Report on 2 hourly (1 PM) • Date of Registration P-Day • Time of Registration 1 pm • SMS syntax pollrj<space> 1 PM<space>male, female, other • Remarks pollrj<space> 1 PM<space>111, 98, 02

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax Eg. • Eg. P day 3 pm pollrj<space> 3 PM<space>male, female, other pollrj<space> 3 PM<space>111, 98, 02 • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax Report on 2 hourly (3 PM) Report on 2 hourly(5 PM) P-Day 5 pm pollrj<space> 5 PM<space>male, female, other Pollrj <space> 5 PM<space>111, 98, 02

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax Remarks for end of P day Closure of pollrj<space> Q<space>10 Q – Stands for Voters in queue at the schedule time poll. 3 digits stand(s) for total number of voters in queue • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration • SMS syntax Eg. Voters in queue at the closure of poll Final Voter Turnout P-Day After end of Poll pollrj<space> VT<space>male, female, other pollrj<space> VT<space>454, 381, 002

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration Safe arrival of Polling Party at RC after end of Poll P day Immediately after reaching RC • SMS syntax • Remarks pollrj<space> SARC – Stands for Safe arrival of Polling party at RC • Event. • Date of Registration • Time of Registration Poll Interrupted due to EVM Non-Functioning or apprehension of such problem P-Day Immediately after such type of situation • SMS syntax Remarks Voting . pollrj<space> PROB<space>EVM PROB- Problem, EVM- Problem of Electronic Machine.

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event. • Date of Registration • Time of Registration Poll interrupted or apprehension of poll interruption due to Law & Order problem P day Immediately after such type of situation arises • SMS syntax • Remarks pollrj<space> PROB<space>LW PROB- Problem, LW - Law & Order Problem. • Event. • Date of Registration • Time of Registration Poll Interrupted or there is a chance of poll interruption due to other Problem P-Day Immediately after such type of situation arises • SMS syntax • Remarks PROB- Problem, OTH – Other Problem pollrj<space> PROB<space>OTH

Reports by Presiding Officer/Polling Officer • Event • Date of Registration • Time of Registration. • SMS syntax Remarks. Problem resolved P day Immediately after problem is solved and poll is resumed in case pollrj<space>PRES means Problem resolved and poll resumed in case there is interruption.

If PO failed to send sms? Then Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer/Sector Officer can send SMS on behalf of that PO

Poll Report by Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer/Sector Officer Sl. No. Event 1 Safe Arrival of Polling pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>SAP Party at Polling eg. pollrj<space>001<space> SAP Station Mock Poll and pollrj <space>PS_NO<space>MP<space>04 attendance of polling eg. pollrj<space>001<space> MP<space>04 agents Poll Started pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>PS 2 3 SMS syntax eg. pollrj<space>001<space> PS 4 Report on 2 hourly (9 AM) pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>9 AM<space>male, female, other eg. pollrj<space>001<space>9 AM<space>111, 98, 02 5 Report on 2 hourly (11 AM) pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>11 AM<space>male, female, other eg. pollrj<space>001<space>11 AM<space>111, 98, 02

Poll Report by Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer/Sector Officer Sl. No. Event SMS syntax 6 Report on 2 hourly (1 PM) pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>1 PM<space>male, female, other eg. pollrj<space>001<space>1 PM<space>111, 98, 02 7 Report on 2 hourly (3 PM) pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>3 PM<space>male, female, other eg. pollrj<space>001<space>3 PM<space>111, 98, 02 8 Report on 2 hourly(5 PM) pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>5 PM<space>male, female, other eg. pollrj<space>001<space>5 PM<space>111, 98, 02 9 Voters in pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>Q<space>voters in Queue queue at the eg. pollrj<space>001<space>Q<space>10 closure of poll 10 Final Voter pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>VT<space>male, female, other Turnout eg. pollrj<space>001<space>VT<space>454, 381, 002

Poll Report by Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer/Sector Officer Sl. Event SMS syntax No. 11 Safe arrival of Polling Party pollrj<space>PS_NO<space>SARC at RC after end of Poll. pollrj<space>001<space>SARC 12 Poll Interrupted due to EVM Non-Functioning or apprehension of such problem 13 Poll interrupted or apprehension of poll interruption due to Law & Order problem 14 Poll Interrupted or there is a chance of poll interruption for any other Problem 15 Problem as mentioned in Sl. NO. 12, 13, 14 resolved pollrj<space>PROB<space>EVM<space>PS_NO pollrj<space>PROB<space>EVM<space>001 pollrj<space> PROB<space>LW<space>PS_NO pollrj<space> PROB<space>LW<space>001 pollrj<space> PROB<space>OTH<space>PS_NO pollrj<space> PROB<space>OTH<space>001 pollrj<space>PRES<space>PS_NO pollrj<space>PRES<space>001

SMS based Poll monitoring Website If SMS is not working then there will be provision for reporting the poll information through the website

This is login window to fill your User Name and Password given by ECI for login authentication and after that you can see various types of poll day reports. At right now. Login level: CEO

Mobile registration: Precidingofficer

Mobile registration: Returning officer

In this report section user can easily see poll day report of the polling station.

Report to see details: -- Mobile registration -- Safe arrival of polling party

This report section show the poll day reports(current) same as poll day report.

Poll interruption and problem resolved report

Exception Report: Polling stations reported through sms Polling stations not reported through sms

CEO can modify particular record of the polling station if in case SMS Gateway is not working.

voter turnout report of the particular polling station on the basis of Final Voter Information captured

Training to Presiding officer How to send SMS. About the keyword ’poll’. About the different types of SMS formats. When to send SMS (each SMS has to be send on certain event or time). Where to send SMS (each SMS has to be send on a particular no. given by ECI of CEO office) What to do if getting problem in sending SMS. Importance of sending SMS accurately and timely.

Thanks