Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body that is empowered to conduct free and fair elections in India. Established by the Constitution of India, it is headed by a chief election commissioner and consists of two other election commissioners as constituent members. The commission is headquartered in New Delhi.

The election commissioners are appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a selection committee headed by the prime minister. The term of the chief election commissioner (CEC) can be a maximum of six years provided they do not attain the age of sixty-five years before the expiry of the term. CEC can only be removed by impeachment in the parliament, while election commissioners can be removed by the president on the recommendation of the CEC.

The election commission decides the dates for the filing of nominations, voting, counting and announcement of results for all the elections. At the states and union territories, the elections are supervised by a chief electoral officer, under the direction of the Election Commission. At the district and constituency levels, election related work is carried out by the district election officers, electoral registration officers and returning officers. The commission carries out the registration and recognition of political parties in the country. It prepares electoral rolls, and issues identification for eligible voters. It is also responsible for scrutinizing candidates, allotting ballot symbols, issuing a model code of conduct to be followed by the political parties and candidates, and monitoring election spends.