CHENNAI: A writ petition has been filed before the Madras High Court seeking a direction to implement a system for sending SMS confirmations to voters after they cast their vote.
KR Kukesh, founder and president of the Tamil Nadu Isaivellalar Youth Federation and Welfare Trust, filed the petition before the Madras High Court.
In his petition, he stated that in essential services such as the purchase of ration commodities, booking of LPG cylinders, and banking transactions, instant SMS alerts are being sent to mobile phones to ensure transparency and accountability.
Similarly, a mechanism should be in place to ensure voters receive an SMS confirmation on their mobile phones immediately after casting their vote, thereby preventing malpractices in the electoral process, the petition said.
In this regard, the petitioner submitted that he had made representations to the Election Commission of India on March 3, 2024, and again on February 19, 2026. The Election Commission of India had initially stated that the proposal was under consideration; however, no further action has been taken to date.
Pointing out that Legislative Assembly elections are around the corner in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry, the petitioner noted that the introduction of such an SMS facility would help prevent electoral fraud, including bogus voting.
The petitioner sought a direction to the Election Commission of India to take appropriate steps to implement the SMS confirmation system in the forthcoming elections. The matters are expected to be listed for hearing shortly.