Does ‘Challenge Vote’ Exist? Check What Odisha CEO Says

Bhubaneswar: After a message on ‘Challenge Vote’ went viral on social media platforms creating confusion among people amid ongoing elections, the poll authorities in Odisha have made it clear that no such system exists.

With the message in Odia going viral on social media, Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal has advised people to be aware of election-related information.

The message claimed that if a voter reaches polling booth and finds his/her name is not included in the voter list, he/she should show own Aadhaar card or voter ID and ask for ‘challenge vote’ under section 49A and exercise the franchise.

Terming the information misleading, the CEI clarified that no such provision related to elections exists. He advised people to remain alert on misinformation being spread regarding tender vote, usually allowed in rare situations when a person finds that his valuable vote has been cast by someone else.

For any election-related query, the electors should contact booth level officers (BLO) in their jurisdiction for clarification, the CEO’s office said in a post on X.

Poll authorities as well as cyber police have asked people be careful about such fake viral messages. People should not to get influenced by the social media contents.