EC Resolves EPIC Number Duplication Issue After Nationwide Audit of 99 Crore Voters
New Delhi, May 13, 2025: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Tuesday that it has successfully addressed the long-standing issue of duplicate Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers in its voter database. Following a comprehensive nationwide audit, new EPIC cards have been issued to affected voters to ensure that each elector has a unique identification number.
The EPIC number is a 10-digit alphanumeric code assigned to each registered voter and is essential for preventing voter impersonation. Concerns about duplicate EPIC numbers resurfaced when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Congress party raised the issue publicly. Ms. Banerjee alleged that the duplication of voter IDs allowed non-residents from other states to be included in West Bengal’s voter rolls, an allegation the EC has strongly denied.
In response to these concerns, the EC conducted a detailed review involving the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all 36 states and Union Territories, along with electoral registration officers from all 4,123 Assembly constituencies. This review covered approximately 10.5 lakh polling stations across the country and examined a massive database of over 99 crore electors.
According to EC sources, around one voter in every four polling stations—out of about 1,000 electors—was found to have a duplicated EPIC number. However, field verification confirmed that these were legitimate voters residing in entirely different constituencies and polling areas.
“All such electors have now been issued fresh EPIC cards with unique numbers,” a senior EC official confirmed. The Commission traced the origins of this issue back to 2005 when different states were using different alphanumeric series for EPIC numbers. The confusion was exacerbated during the 2008 delimitation, leading to overlaps and typographical errors in assigning EPIC numbers.
The Commission emphasized that despite the duplication, no voter could have cast more than one vote, as votes are only valid at the elector’s registered polling station. “This duplication had no impact on the outcome of any election,” the EC reiterated.
While opposition parties, particularly the Trinamool Congress, have dismissed the EC’s clarification as a cover-up, the Commission insists that the integrity of elections has been maintained and has assured the public that steps have been taken to prevent such discrepancies in the future.
