ECI, state poll commissioners adopt National Declaration 2026 to strengthen electoral roll coordination

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday concluded the National Round Table Conference with State Election Commissioners (SECs) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with participants adopting the National Declaration 2026 and resolving to deepen institutional cooperation in electoral management.

The conference, held after a gap of 27 years, was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the presence of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Election Commissioner stressed the need for stronger coordination between the ECI and SECs within their respective constitutional mandates. He called for harmonised approaches in electoral roll management, greater adoption of technology and systematic sharing of best practices to enhance the integrity and efficiency of elections across the country.

Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu urged State Election Commissioners to learn from each other’s experiences and replicate successful practices, noting that public trust remains the foundation of every electoral process. Vivek Joshi highlighted the importance of leveraging digital platforms such as ECINET to bridge functional gaps between the ECI and State Commissions.

The deliberations focused on improving collaboration in preparing accurate electoral rolls, conducting transparent elections and sharing technological solutions including Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), ECINET and electoral databases. Participants reaffirmed that “pure electoral rolls are the bedrock of democracy” and resolved to work together in national and constitutional interest.

Under the National Declaration 2026, the ECI proposed developing mutually acceptable and legally viable frameworks to synergise election-related processes across institutions, including sharing of infrastructure at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM). The declaration also envisages harmonising laws governing Panchayat and Municipal elections with those applicable to Parliament and State Legislatures.

The ECI further invited State Election Commissions to participate in its international engagements and proposed that the National Round Table Conference be held annually, preferably alongside global conferences chaired by the Commission.

During the event, the ECI also launched a new publication titled “A Confluence of Democracies”, documenting the recently held India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026. The publication records the participation of nearly 100 delegates from over 70 countries, discussions across 36 thematic sessions and the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026.

The ECI said all suggestions received from the State Election Commissioners during the conference will be examined by a joint team of legal and technical officers. A state- and Union Territory-wise roadmap is expected to be submitted to the Commission within three months for further action.

The conference reinforced the spirit of cooperative federalism in electoral governance and marked a renewed push towards technological integration and institutional coordination in India’s electoral framework.