ECI-SEC National Declaration 2026 | 26 Feb 2026

Source: IE

The conference of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and State Election Commissioners (SECs) adopted the National Declaration 2026 to enhance federal coordination in electoral processes after a 27-year gap.

• Pure Electoral Rolls as Bedrock: The National Declaration emphasized that the preparation of "pure electoral rolls" (error-free and updated) is the bedrock of democracy, highlighting the need for transparent and efficient election conduct.
• Core Objective: The conference aimed at synergizing the laws and processes for elections to Panchayats and Municipal bodies (conducted by SECs) with those for Parliament (President, Vice-President, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha) and State Legislatures (State Legislative Assemblies and Councils) (conducted by ECI).
  • ECI proposed that the National Round Table Conference be held annually, ideally alongside global conferences chaired by the ECI, and invited SECs to participate in its international engagements.
  • A joint legal and technical team will review SECs’ suggestions, with a state/UT-wise roadmap to be submitted within three months.
• Sharing of Technological Resources: The ECI offered to share its technological assets with the SECs to improve efficiency, including:
  • ECINET Portal: For better electoral roll management and coordination.
  • EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines): Sharing of infrastructure for local body polls.
  • IIIDEM: Extending the facilities of the India International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) for training and capacity building.
• Publication on IICDEM 2026: A publication titled “A Confluence of Democracies” was also released, documenting the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 and the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026.