Now, place your vote with a simple SMS

Voting by SMS?

Voting via SMS? Seriously, what an Idea, Sirji!


The bold attempt to making voting information easy is shaping up for the Feb 2012 BMC civic elections. 

The bold attempt to making voting information as easy as SMS is shaping up for the coming February 2012 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) civic elections.

It's not voting by SMS, but SMS is making SMS easier.

Voters will be able to get information about electoral roll, polling station and other details on voting cellphones, as part of a program that answers these, and similar queries.

The service will create a hassle-free voting process, and is part of the BMC's drive to promote voter awareness and overall turnout. To use this service, an SMS sent to 56677 will be responded with electoral roll number, polling booth and other information.

“Initially they have to SMS BMC (space) voters to 56677, then follow given instructions given,” said an official from BMC’s election department.

“Many times voters do not even know their electoral roll number, polling booth etc so they avoid voting,” “The service has not yet begun, but should be functioning in the next two months,” said Aseem Gupta, additional municipal commissioner.

India's emerging telecom market - the fastest in the world - should encourage such an initiative.

“Any mechanism used for electoral voting should ensure equal access for all,” says analyst Pratap Bhanu Mehta.

And, as the global media reminded us last year, Indians have more cellphones than toilets. Statistically, we have 851.70 million mobile phone subscribers (June 2011) and the second largest telecommunication network in the world after China.

In another 2 years, India will have 1.159 billion mobile subscribers by 2013.