Supreme Court Issues Notice on PIL Seeking Biometric Identification of Voters at Polling Stations

The Supreme Court today issued notice of a PIL to implement the Finger and Iris Biometric Identification System at Polling Stations in impending Assembly Elections, particularly in bordering states, to prevent Bribery, Undue Influence, Personation, Duplicate Voting, Ghost Voting and other Election Malpractices.

Court has been told that this may be implemented on the lines similar to the Aadhaar-Based Identification which has been recognised as a valid proof of identity under Section 23(4) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950.

A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi today issued notice on the plea filed by Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay who appeared before court today.

The Bench was initially not inclined to issue notice and said, "ECI needs to give us a reply and if State does not help or finance ministry does not pass budget then again we can be approached. But issuing notice at this stage is not needed."

"I am not on the ongoing five State elections," Upadhyay said which made the bench issue notice eventually. "The prayers cannot be considered for the upcoming elections. But whether such a recourse deserves to be followed for next parliamentary elections or State polls needs to be examined. Issue notice," the Court directed.

"The ECI by using its plenary power under Article 324 may implement Finger and Iris based Biometric Authentication to strengthen voter identification and eliminate Bribery, Undue Influence, Personation, Duplicate and Ghost Voting. Biometric Identifiers are unique and incapable of being fabricated, thereby ensuring the principle of ‘One Citizen, One Vote’ in its truest sense. This would guarantee that each registered elector casts only a single vote," court has been told.

The petition argues that Finger and Iris Biometric authentication, being unique to each individual, would eliminate duplication/ghost voting and ensure strict compliance of ‘One Citizen, One Vote’. "A significant portion of the population is migratory, often leading to inconsistencies in electoral rolls across constituencies. This creates a possibility where the same individual may be registered in multiple locations. Finger-Iris Biometric Authentication would act as a Uniform Identity Checkpoint, ensuring that even if Duplicate/Ghost Records exist, the Individual can vote only once", it adds.

Upadhyay has stated that Finger-Iris Biometric Identification enables real-time authentication, creating a verifiable digital record of voter verification at polling booths. This provides an additional layer of accountability and enables authorities to audit the process in the event of disputes, thereby reducing the risk of undetected fraudulent voting, court has been told.

"A biometric-based authentication inherently provides a mechanism for creating secure and verifiable digital records of voter authentication at the time of voting. Such records, while maintaining voter secrecy, can serve as an audit trail to verify that due process was followed at each polling station. This enhances institutional accountability and enables ECI to conduct post-election audits more efficiently and reliably. Existence of verifiable data also serves as a deterrent to malpractice, as any irregularity in the process can be traced and examined. Consequently, the ability to audit and verify the process strengthens transparency and reassures stakeholders that the electoral system is both robust and accountable," the petition submits.

The petition argued in favour of adopting of biometric authentication which introduces a scientifically reliable tamper-resistant method of identity verification, thereby substantially reducing the scope for such allegations. When voters and political stakeholders are assured that identity verification is conducted through an objective, technologically secure mechanism, it minimises doubts about the legitimacy of the process and contributes to greater acceptance of electoral outcomes, it states.

Case Title: Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs. Union of India & others

Bench: CJI Kant and Justice Bagchi

Hearing Date: April 13, 2026