Major functions of the Election Commission of India:
a) Preparing the voters’ list correctly and scientifically. Giving appropriate instructions for its preparations and supervising its making.
b) Conducting the election of the President, Vice President, MPs, and MLAs.
c) Preparing time tables for elections.
d) The Commission has the right to cancel the polling of a particular booth or even the entire constituency if malpractices are detected. Threatening the voters, burning booths, taking away ballot boxes, etc. are very big crimes. If such things happen, the election in that constituency can be canceled. If such things happen only.in some booths, the polling there can be cancelled. On 23 November 1984, the Election Commission ordered re-polling in 78 booths all over the country.
e) The Commission appoints Returning Officers and Asstt. Returning Officers.
f) The Commission allots different political parties their symbols.
g) It is the Commission that approves political parties to contest in the election. It decides what kind of recognition is given to each political party, whether State Level or National Level. In the November 1989 Lok Sabha elections, the Commission recognized 9 parties as National level Parties.
h) The Commission ensures that only those who have voting rights vote. It also has to prevent impersonation during voting.
i) It is the duty of the Commission to establish booths at convenient places so that voters won’t have to travel long distances.
j) The Commission has to make sure that ballot boxes are collected after the election and kept away securely. It also has to ensure that the counting of votes is done fairly and declare the results.
k) The Commission brings out the code of conduct for the political parties and independent candidates.
l) It also has to control and guide the Officers appointed by the Union Government and State Governments to conduct elections.
m) All election results are declared by the Election Commission.
