A major concern is pressure from the central government. When asked "to what extent is the Election Commission working under pressure from the central government – completely, somewhat, not much, or not at all," 21.7 percent said "yes, completely," and 31.4 percent said "somewhat."
Published Aug 19, 2025 | 6:19 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 19, 2025 | 6:25 PM
[LTR] Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi.
Synopsis: Public trust in the Election Commission of India has declined sharply, with only 28.6 percent of voters expressing “great” confidence, according to a Lokniti-CSDS survey conducted in six states and Delhi. The study highlights concerns over central government pressure, fears of genuine voters being excluded in Bihar’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision, and limited access to required documents such as birth certificates.
Public confidence in the Election Commission of India (ECI) has fallen sharply, with only 28.6 percent of voters saying they trust the ECI to a “great extent.” Another 12.8 percent said “not much” and 9.0 percent said “not at all,” according to a new survey by Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).
The survey, titled Documentation and Trust in the Voter Verification Process Study 2025, was conducted between 31 July and 13 August 2025, covering 3,054 adults in Delhi and five states: Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
A major concern is pressure from the central government. When asked “to what extent is the Election Commission working under pressure from the central government – completely, somewhat, not much, or not at all,” 21.7 percent said “yes, completely,” and 31.4 percent said “somewhat.”
Trust in electronic voting machines (EVMs) remains mixed. Asked if they believe EVMs record votes accurately, 35.7 percent said “yes, completely,” while 10.2 percent said “no, not at all.”
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 82.4 percent of respondents said they voted, though 7.9 percent of valid respondents reported facing difficulties in doing so.
More than half of respondents (51.9 percent) lived in villages, 21.3 percent in small cities and 16.7 percent in towns. By age, 19.8 percent were “up to 25 years,” 25.5 percent were “26-35 years,” and 17.5 percent were “56 years and above.” Men made up 55.4 percent of the sample, women 44.5 percent.
Over 81 percent identified as Hindu, 11.6 percent as Muslim and 5.4 percent as Christian. In terms of caste, 38.2 percent identified as General, 32.1 percent as Other Backward Classes, 18.1 percent as Scheduled Castes and 6.9 percent as Scheduled Tribes.
Education levels ranged from 12.4 percent “non-literate” to 15.5 percent “graduation completed.” Main occupations included 18.9 percent “housewife/househusband,” 10.9 percent “student,” 7.7 percent “farmer,” and 6.5 percent “wage labourer (non-agriculture).”
Most households fell in the middle-income bracket. About 35.4 percent reported a monthly expenditure of ₹10,001–30,000, while 43.6 percent said their combined monthly income was in the same range.
When asked if they or a family member had a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card, 37.6 percent said “yes.”
A little over 27 percent of voters expressed confidence in the fairness of the ECI’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Another 32.5 percent were “somewhat confident,” while 16.2 percent and 9.2 percent said “not much” and “not at all” respectively.
The SIR, notified on 24 June and currently underway, requires voters to submit one of eleven documents mandated by the ECI. However, commonly used documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards and ration cards are not accepted.
The survey indicates widespread anxiety over this requirement. When asked if they worry that genuine voters might be removed during the process, 44.7 percent said “yes.”
So far, the ECI has removed over 65 lakh names from the draft voter lists.
Asked “why do you think the Election Commission is introducing this document requirement in SIR,” 21.3 percent said “to ensure the accuracy of voter rolls,” 14.5 percent said “to verify citizenship,” and 5.9 percent said “it’s a run up to NRC [National Registrar of Citizens].”
While 49.6 percent agreed when asked if the SIR will help remove fake or duplicate voters, 44.7 percent also said “yes” when asked if they worry about genuine voters being removed.
Moreover, 39.9 percent were not aware of the requirement for birth certificates or senior secondary certificates for verification. Awareness of the SIR in Bihar was also limited, with 47.1 percent saying “no, not heard at all.”
When asked if they had a birth certificate issued by a local or government authority, only 34.3 percent said “yes.” A clear majority, 51.6 percent, said “no, I do not have one.” Among those without, 72.8 percent (valid responses) said “never issued one” when asked why.
By contrast, almost all respondents had other identity documents: 99.2 percent had Aadhaar cards and 80.0 percent had PAN cards. Passports were far less common, at 16.2 percent.
Asked “what other documents do you think should be accepted as proof of citizenship,” 80.9 percent endorsed Aadhaar. Other widely suggested options were the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) (44.9 percent) and ration cards (40.6 percent).
However, 43.0 percent said “no” when asked if it is reasonable for the ECI to insist on birth certificates for voter list verification.
When asked “if the Election Commission makes it mandatory to show a birth certificate in order to remain on the voter list, how would this affect voters like you,” 28.5 percent said “I won’t be able to get it made,” and 29.5 percent said “it will be a bit difficult, but I’ll manage to arrange it.”
Overall, when asked “how difficult is it for a voter like you to obtain such certificates that the Election Commission is asking,” 37.6 percent said “very difficult,” and 31.9 percent said “somewhat difficult.”
When asked “who do you think will be most affected if birth certificates or similar documents become mandatory for voter list inclusion,” respondents pointed to the elderly (42.3 percent), illiterate people (41.5 percent) and the poor (40.5 percent).
Rural residents (26.4 percent), migrants (22.2 percent) and Muslims (15.1 percent) were also seen as vulnerable.
At the household level, when asked if all members above 18 had a birth certificate, only 18.5 percent said “yes, all have,” while 23.9 percent said “no, none have.”
On digital access, only 18.7 percent said “yes, and I use it” when asked about DigiLocker.
On how the Election Commission could make the verification process fairer, 20.9 percent said “accept more types of documents, not just birth certificates,” 6.4 percent said “avoid making birth certificate compulsory,” and 5.6 percent said “give people more time and clear information about the process.”
Only 8.2 percent said “the current process is already fair.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
