While political alliances are yet to firm up for 2014 polls, the Election Commission (EC) has already entered a key partnership with US-based internet giant, Google, to help it manage online voter registration and facilitation services ahead of the democratic exercise.

Over the next six months, Google will offer EC its resources, including its search engine, to enable voters to check their enrolment status online and locate their polling station, complete with directions using Google Maps.

The "arrangement" between EC and Google is learnt to have been clinched late this month, and is expected to be "operational" by the second week of January.

As part of the partnership, Google will put its worldwide network and resources at the Commission`s disposal until June 2014 to help it manage online registration of new voters and allow the enrolled ones to check the address at which they are registered, and get directions to the polling station.

With the new rolls with reference to January 1, 2014, slated to be out by January 6, the voters` queries on the Commission website are likely to be managed by Google starting from the second week of January.

Google will not charge the EC for these services, estimated to cost $50,000 (over Rs 30 lakh), and fund the same from its corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget.

"The EC is going ahead with the use of hi-tech and professional expertise to manage online enrolment of voters and search a voter`s name in electoral rolls along with the polling station.

"So, all that one needs to do now is to type his name/EPIC no and address on the Google Search engine, which will promptly generate results matching the voters` name with his assembly/Lok Sabha constituency, and pinpointing the location of his polling station...in fact, Google Maps will give exact directions to the voter on how to get to the correct polling station on the polling day," explained a senior EC official.

Google is offering similar services across 100 countries as part of its CSR obligations. The American firm had approached the EC some time ago to offer its expertise for better management of online services on the Commission`s website, particularly voter enrolment and facilitation.

The Commission, which felt that the management of its online interface with the voters left much scope for improvement, welcomed the offer from the "global leader" and the two signed on the dotted line recently.

BdST 2205 HRS, JAN 1, 2013
Edited by: Sabbin Hasan, ICT Editor