International Election Visitors’ Programme 2026 Begins in India
Why in the news
The Election Commission invited foreign election bodies to watch India’s assembly polls in two phases, using the visit to showcase its election technology and methods.
Key facts
- Organiser: Election Commission of India (ECI).
- Aim: knowledge exchange for foreign Election Management Bodies (EMBs); South-South cooperation.
- Tech shown: EVMs and VVPATs, the cVIGIL app (citizens report model code violations in real time) and digital frameworks.
- Field exposure: polling station management, first polling officer identification, showing the empty box to agents, sealing of machines and strongroom security.
- VVPAT: shows a paper slip to the voter for 7 seconds.
| Round | When | Where visitors go |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I | Month of April 2026, under way | Puducherry, Kerala, Assam |
| Phase II | Closing weeks of April 2026 | Tamil Nadu, West Bengal |
Background
- South-South cooperation: sharing of resources, technology and knowledge among developing countries of the Global South.
- Several African, Asian and Latin American countries treat the ECI as a benchmark for running polls in populous developing economies.
- VVPAT stands for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail; it proves transparency and auditability of electronic voting.
Exam angle
- Body: ECI; programme: IEVP 2026.
- App: cVIGIL for model code violations.
- VVPAT slip display time: 7 seconds.