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In response to requests from multiple political parties, the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> (EC) has decided to postpone upcoming by-elections in <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>, Kerala, and Punjab. Originally scheduled for November 13, the polls will now take place on November 20. This rescheduling aims to accommodate local festivities and boost voter turnout. The EC’s decision follows appeals from parties like the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword> (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and <keyword id="19984283" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rashtriya-lok-dal" source="keywords">Rashtriya Lok Dal</keyword> (RLD), which expressed concerns over potential low turnout due to regional celebrations during the original polling date. The Congress highlighted that in Kerala's 56-Palakkad Assembly Constituency, many residents will participate in the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival, a major event set to run from November 13 to 15. Similarly, representatives from the BJP, BSP, and RLD raised concerns in Uttar Pradesh, where people begin travelling several days in advance for <keyword id="22124352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kartik-purnima" source="keywords">Kartik Purnima</keyword>, an important festival observed in the state. In Punjab, the Congress pointed out that celebrations for the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji are scheduled for November 15, with religious observances starting on November 13. These festivals are expected to draw significant portions of the electorate, particularly in rural areas. The EC has previously demonstrated flexibility to prioritise voter participation by adjusting poll dates to avoid clashes with religious or cultural events. In recent years, polling dates were modified for various elections, including the <keyword id="23790298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="punjab-state-elections" source="keywords">Punjab State Elections</keyword> 2022 during the Shri Guru Ravidas Jayanti, and the <keyword id="23790297" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections</keyword> 2012 for <keyword id="23790296" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="barawafat" source="keywords">Barawafat</keyword>. Similar changes were made in Manipur, Mizoram, and Rajasthan to respect community schedules and increase voter convenience. With this adjustment, one assembly constituency in Kerala, four in Punjab, and nine in Uttar Pradesh will now hold their by-polls on November 20, while the dates for vote counting and final poll completion remain set for November 23 and 25, respectively. (With inputs from agencies)

By-polls in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab rescheduled due to clash with religious festivals — check new dates here

The <keyword id="19895876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission of India">Election Commission of India</keyword> (ECI) has officially announced the schedules for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, setting the stage for crucial state elections next month. Here’s what voters in these states can expect: <h2>Maharashtra: Single-phase voting on November 20</h2>Maharashtra will head to the polls in a single phase on November 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23. This election will see a high-stakes contest between two major coalitions: the <keyword id="19924537" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maha-Vikas-Aghadi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Maha Vikas Aghadi" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Maha Vikas Aghadi">Maha Vikas Aghadi</keyword> (MVA) and the <keyword id="21555670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maha-Yuti-Alliance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Maha Yuti Alliance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Maha Yuti Alliance">Maha Yuti Alliance</keyword>. The MVA consists of <keyword id="19905331" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uddhav-Thackeray" source="keywords">Uddhav Thackeray</keyword>'s Shiv Sena (UBT), the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword>, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under Sharad Pawar. Meanwhile, the Maha Yuti Alliance brings together the <keyword id="19931558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharatiya Janata Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharatiya Janata Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP), Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. This intense battle for control over the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly follows the end of the current term on November 26. The model code of conduct has come into immediate effect in Maharashtra, guiding political parties on appropriate campaigning practices and ensuring fair elections. <h2>Jharkhand: Two-phase voting on November 13 and 20</h2>In Jharkhand, voting will occur in two phases: the first on November 13 and the second on November 20. The results will be declared on November 23, alongside Maharashtra’s. This election focuses on the 81-seat Assembly, with a fierce competition expected between the ruling <keyword id="20028356" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jharkhand-Mukti-Morcha" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Jharkhand Mukti Morcha" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Jharkhand Mukti Morcha">Jharkhand Mukti Morcha</keyword> (JMM)-Congress alliance and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the BJP, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), and Janata Dal (United). Jharkhand’s current Assembly term expires on January 5, 2025. The elections will feature 29,562 polling stations across urban and rural areas to accommodate the state’s 2.6 crore registered voters. This diverse electorate includes 66.84 lakh young voters and 11.84 lakh first-time voters, with special arrangements for 3.67 lakh persons with disabilities. <h2>Pre-election preparations</h2>The ECI’s preparations for the elections began in September, with teams visiting both states to assess readiness. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, met with local officials, district collectors, and political representatives to evaluate logistical arrangements and security measures. In Maharashtra, the Maha Yuti Alliance and the MVA have been ramping up their efforts to secure <keyword id="23060079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-support" source="keywords">voter support</keyword> in what is expected to be a dramatic electoral showdown. In Jharkhand, the ruling JMM, which is part of the INDIA bloc, is eyeing another term despite recent controversies surrounding Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who faced legal challenges earlier this year. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance remains strong, as the party is expected to contest all 81 seats in the Assembly. (With inputs from agencies)

ECI Announces election schedules for Maharashtra and Jharkhand; both states to vote in November

The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> has received eight applications from aggrieved <keyword id="19902220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="candidates" source="keywords">candidates</keyword>, including those from the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword> and the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword>, for verification of tampering or modification in micro-controller chips embedded in the EVMs post declaration of Lok Sabha election results on June 4. Terming the suspicion of manipulation of the electronic voting machines "unfounded", the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> had on April 26 rejected the demand for reverting to the old paper ballot system. But at the same time, the top court had opened a window for the aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in the poll results and allowed them to seek verification of micro-controller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon the payment of a fee to the poll panel. BJP's Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil has sought verification of the machines from 40 <keyword id="20300567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="polling-stations" source="keywords">polling stations</keyword>. Vikhe-Patil had lost to Nilesh Lanke of NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction. A YSRCP and a DMDK candidate too have applied for the verification, according to data shared by the poll panel. According to the EC, eight parliamentary seats spread across six states are involved. The total number of polling stations for which verification has been sought is 92. Candidates who come second or third and seek verification of the EVMs will have to pay Rs 47,200 per EVM set, according to the standard operating procedure issued by the EC on June 1. According to the EC's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the cost submitted by manufacturers BEL and ECIL to carry out EVM "check and verification" is Rs 40,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) per set of EVM. "In addition to the cost incurred by the manufacturers, there are also administrative costs like cost of labour to shift the units, CCTV coverage, electricity charges, videography costs and various other operational costs at the district election officer level," the document said. It, however, said to make the <keyword id="21143428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="verification-process" source="keywords">verification process</keyword> "more accessible" and inclusive in compliance to the referred mandate of the Supreme Court, it is decided that instead of going purely by the actual economic costs incurred, the administrative expenditure on <keyword id="22122362" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="EVM-verification" source="keywords">EVM verification</keyword> will be treated as "election expenditure and borne by the central or state government, as the case may be". "Accordingly, the administrative charges will be waived for the applicants -- the same shall not be charged to the applicants," it noted. The charges for EVM verification to be paid by the applicant candidate is for the current financial year 2024-25 -- till March 31, 2025, it said. An EVM set has at least one Ballot Unit, one Control Unit and a <keyword id="19975285" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vvpat" source="keywords">VVPAT</keyword> machine. Separately, YSRCP and BJD candidates from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively have also applied for EVM check following the announcement of assembly results on June 4. Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were held along with the Lok Sabha elections. In the verification exercise for assembly poll results, total assembly constituencies involved are three where verification has been sought in 26 polling stations. According to the SOP, the concerned state chief electoral officer (CEO) was required to communicate to the manufacturers the consolidated list of applicants within 30 days of the date of declaration of results -- by July 4. The CEOs have already conveyed the same to the manufacturers 15 days ahead of the schedule, the EC said. The technical SOP enumerating the methodology and steps for checking and verification of burnt memory/ micro-controller of the EVM units will be issued by the EC in due course.

EC receives applications for EVM verification on 8 LS seats in 6 states

It takes an Oscar-worthy director to come up with the juicy drama that somehow seems to pervade India’s pre-general election seasons. Amid all the chaos, a political hot topic has just witnessed a major development: the electoral bonds row. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What are electoral bonds?" comment="subhead" text="What are electoral bonds?">What are electoral bonds?</cmsannotation> For those unversed in the whole episode, the government introduced the <keyword id="4697813" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="electoral-bond" source="Orion">Electoral Bond</keyword> Scheme via the Finance Act of 2016-2017, allowing anyone to anonymously make an indefinite number of non-capped donations to their preferred political parties. Before this scheme, all donations above Rs 20,000 had to be explicitly made public, and donations of more than a certain percentage of the company’s revenue were disallowed. Such restrictions were meant to ensure that no political party had an unfair monetary advantage over the others and that the policies would not be influenced by the rich. Therefore, many experts were concerned that this new lack of transparency in the donation process opened up a gaping avenue for big corporations to donate for favourable outcomes from the ruling regime in terms of acquiring licences, government contracts, leases, and even accelerating favourable policy changes. The government insists that the measure ensures transparency as the purchaser would be allowed to buy bonds only on due fulfilment of all the extant KYC norms and by making payment from a bank account. However, the opposition parties kept raising objections, with the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword> leader Rahul Gandhi terming the electoral bond scheme as a legalisation of the process of accepting bribes and commissions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How did the Supreme Court step in?" comment="subhead" text="How did the Supreme Court step in?">How did the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> step in?</cmsannotation> Recently, in a move that many celebrated as a major win for transparent and fair electoral practices, a Constitution Bench panel of five Supreme Court judges scrapped the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme on February 15, deeming that the whole ordeal was “unconstitutional” to begin with. Subsequently, the <keyword id="19934368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india" source="keywords">State Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19898108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sbi" source="keywords">SBI</keyword>) was ordered to disclose all details of the donors that had purchased electoral bonds, the amount purchased, and the recipients of these “support” donations. Nearly a month after the directive, SBI finally submitted the electoral data to the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> on March 13, after the apex court denied its application for more time. The bank attributed the delay in compiling the information to the non-digital nature of the way electoral data was collected and stored, making it harder to collate and produce. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What does the data reveal?" comment="subhead" text="What does the data reveal?">What does the data reveal?</cmsannotation> The data published by the Election Commission based on SBI’s affidavit revealed information on over 22,217 electoral bonds purchased between April 1, 2019 and February 1, 2024. This also means there exists a year’s worth of data missing from the first year of the electoral bonds scheme, amounting to hundreds of crores of Rupees. Further, the very content of the data remains lacklustre, many experts maintain. The problem is that individual electoral bonds do not have their serial numbers attached. This makes it impossible to accurately ascertain who these bonds were directed to, meaning we still do not know which corporations donated how much to which parties. Condemning the SBI for not divulging the unique serial numbers as per its previous full-disclosure directive, the Supreme Court has now issued a notice for a prompt response by March 18. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Which political party benefited the most?" comment="subhead" text="Which political party benefited the most?">Which political party benefited the most?</cmsannotation> While many political parties benefited from this scheme, the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) encashed about 1,300 crores worth of electoral bonds during the 2023 financial year, according to media reports. This amounted to about half of the total electoral bond donations, and more than seven times the amount Congress received during the same period. Out of a total of 12,155 crores worth of electoral bonds purchased between 2019 and 2024, BJP redeemed Rs 6061 crores, followed by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress at Rs 1610 crores. A total of 213 donors purchased bonds worth over Rs 10 crores, with the top 20 donors accounting for nearly half of the total electoral bonds. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Are scams hiding behind the electoral bonds?" comment="subhead" text="Are scams hiding behind the electoral bonds?">Are scams hiding behind the electoral bonds?</cmsannotation> The ruling party receiving such a disproportionate share of the electoral bonds has raised many eyebrows. Rajya Sabha Minister Kapil Sibal expressed discontent with the SBI report, calling it a “scam” and explaining that it needs thorough investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur emphasised that a comprehensive study is essential to ascertain the true extent to which companies might have their money to get favour from the central government. Many Congress leaders, such as Manickam Tagore and Jairam Ramesh, also held that it was suspicious that only companies that donated funds to the BJP were given projects and contracts. The other problem is the fact that several of the big purchasers have been consistently under the radar of central agencies, facing frequent raids. This includes the top donor, Lottery company Future Gaming and Hotel Services, led by “Lottery King” Santago Martin, who donated a whopping Rs 1,368 crores. Many others also concern that large corporations may have donated money through shell corporations, in order to hide their involvement in any political favouritism. Congress MP Manish Tewari asked for a Supreme Court order to “lift” this corporate veil of shell companies to reveal the true purchasers of the bonds. Further, as per a Mint analysis, several donor companies who contributed massive amounts were found to be ‘inactive’, and thus the true details of the donors were not transparent at all. According to their report, this included entities such as Rungta Sons, SN Mohanty, Sasmal Infrastructure Private Limited, Avees Trading Finance, and others, whose collective contributions amount to hundreds of crores of Rupees. The official electoral bond data can be accessed via the <a href="https://www.eci.gov.in/candidate-politicalparty" data-type="tilCustomLink">Election Commission of India website</a>.

Electoral bonds: What are they? What does the newly-released data reveal? Would it make an impact?

New Delhi, Several political parties declined to share details of electoral bond donors citing various legal provisions, while others said they received the funding instruments through "drop box" or by post without any name. The DMK, which received most of its donations from a lottery firm, reached out to its donors to seek details of the electoral bonds as demanded by the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> in 2019. The BJP cited the amendments to the Representation of People Act, 1951 and the relevant portions of the Reserve Bank of India Act and the Income Tax Act for not revealing its donors. "It is duly submitted that the electoral bonds were introduced with the aim of bringing only accounted for funds in political funding while protecting the donors from any consequences, therefrom," the BJP said in its letter to the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword>. The <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword> shot off a letter to the <keyword id="19934368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india" source="keywords">State Bank of India</keyword> (SBI) seeking details of donors of electoral bonds, the amount, the bank account in which it was credited and the date. The SBI responded to the Congress that the details of the electoral bonds were available with the political parties and shared the statement of the bank account which was shared with the Commission. The Samajwadi Party shared details of bonds of relatively smaller amounts of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, but merely mentioned that 10 bonds of Rs 1 crore each were received by post without any name. The DMK, which received almost 77 per cent of its funds from lottery king Santiago Martin's Future Gaming, said it had reached out to the donors of the party to get details of the donations they had made. "The scheme also does not require the details of the donor to be furnished to the donee. ... Be that as it may, following the directions of Hon'ble Supreme Court, we contacted our donors and we were able to collect the details from them," the DMK said. The <keyword id="19910625" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telugu-desam-party" source="keywords">Telugu Desam Party</keyword> mentioned "not readily available" in the column for listing out the names of donors. The <keyword id="19968095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trinamool-congress" source="keywords">Trinamool Congress</keyword> said the electoral bonds were sent to the party office and were "dropped in the drop box". The party said some bonds were sent through messengers from various persons who wished to support the party, many of whom prefer to remain anonymous. The NCP, then led by Sharad Pawar, expressed inability to furnish details of donors against each bond as the party had not maintained details or issued any receipts. The letter by the NCP to the Election Commission said several of its office-bearers were busy with the election campaign. "Wherever possible we have indicated the name of the person through whom bonds were received by the party," the NCP said. The Goa unit of the Congress reached out to its donor V M Salgaonkar and Brothers to get details of the electoral bonds worth Rs 30 lakh given by them to the party. The RJD said the details about donations worth Rs 1.5 crore were not readily available. The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) has told the Election Commission that someone delivered to its office an envelope with electoral bonds worth Rs 10 crore in 2019, which were redeemed by the party.

Electoral bonds dropped at office, received by post, say political parties

New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> on Thursday struck down the electoral bond scheme, saying it violates the right to information and the freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution. In a landmark judgement that will have wide ramifications, it ordered the <keyword id="19934368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india" source="keywords">State Bank of India</keyword> to disclose to the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> the names of the contributors to the six-year-old scheme. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice <keyword id="19936357" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="d-y-chandrachud" source="keywords">D Y Chandrachud</keyword> delivered two separate and unanimous verdicts on the pleas challenging the scheme, delivering a major blow to the central government. Pronouncing the verdict, the CJI said the scheme is violative of freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of Constitution. The bench said the fundamental right to privacy also includes citizens' right to political privacy and affiliation. It also held as invalid the amendments made in various laws, including the <keyword id="20592932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="representation-of-peoples-act" source="keywords">Representation of Peoples Act</keyword> and the Income Tax laws. It directed that the issuing bank shall stop issuance of electoral bonds and the State Bank of India shall submit details of electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 till date to the Election Commission. The top court had on November 2 last year reserved its verdict in the matter. The scheme, which was notified by the government on January 2, 2018, was pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding. According to the provisions of the scheme, electoral bonds may be purchased by any citizen of India or entity incorporated or established in the country. An individual can buy electoral bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals without disclosing the identity. Critics have said this eliminates transparency in electoral funding and gives an edge to the ruling parties.

SC strikes down electoral bond scheme, terms it unconstitutional

Citing the Conduct of <keyword id="19895095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election" source="keywords">Election</keyword> Rules, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday said the <keyword id="21922459" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="count" source="keywords">count</keyword> of <keyword id="20105752" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="postal-ballots" source="keywords">postal ballots</keyword> will start first across all counting centres and asserted that there was "no doubt about it". Responding to questions at a press conference here, he said after half-an-hour of the start of the postal ballot count, the counting of votes recorded in the electronic voting machines will commence. A delegation of the opposition parties had on Sunday met the Commission to demand that postal ballot count should start first and the results of postal ballots should be announced first. "Rules clearly state (Rule 54A) that postal ballot count will start first. On all centres in the country it will start first, no doubt about it. After half-an-hour we start the <keyword id="20041623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EVM" source="keywords">EVM</keyword> count. So, there are three countings which are happening simultaneously - it happened in the 2019 elections, it happened in all the assembly polls held thereafter. It happened yesterday also in case of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly (vote count). We can't change anything mid course. Why can't we change, because it is compliant with the rules," he said. He said the postal ballot count and then the EVM count and finally the marching of VVPT slips with EVM results will continue. In majority of the booths, the number of postal ballot is less. It will automatically end first, he pointed out. Since 2019, VVPAT (paper-trail machine) slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency (or segment in cases of <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> seats) are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.

Count of postal ballots will commence first: CEC

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Scammers are targeting voters with fake registrations, surveys, and donation requests.</li><li>The scams often involve pressure tactics and requests for personal financial information.</li></ul>It's almost time for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-15-days-swing-states-polling-2024-10">2024 presidential election</a>, and scammers are out in force.The three most common scams around elections are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-avoid-election-scams-stay-safe-from-voter-registration-fraud-2024-8">voter registration scams</a>, fake surveys and polls, and political donation scams, experts say.In all of these scams, the National Association of Secretaries of State says that scammers generally contact potential victims by phone or email, pretending to be a legitimate entity, like a political action committee or a state agency.The best way to spot an election scam in any of these instances is to stop and see if the person reaching out to you is asking for personal financial information. If they are, it's likely a scam.Other signs that a donation request from a PAC could be fake are if they push you to donate quickly or if the website doesn't provide any contact information, NASS says.According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers commonly use "pressure" to get victims into uncomfortable situations. They will use phrases such as "act now!" to introduce a time element so that you don't have time to think about your actions."Pressuring you to act now is always a sign of a scam," the FTC says.Fake surveys and polls that prey on people's heightened emotions during election seasons are also common, NASS says. Signs that a survey or poll could be fake are if they offer compensation or prizes for participation or if they ask about controversial topics "to rile you up."To spot a fake voter registration message, check to make sure that the information you are receiving is coming from your official state or local election official, the agency says. Another common sign that a voter registration message could be a scam is if the messenger says you must pay to complete your voter registration.The FTC recommends reporting any unsolicited texts or calls from someone who says they need your Social Security Number or financial information to register you to vote. If you think you may be the victim of a scam, you can visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft">FTC's identity theft recovery page</a> to report the fraud.To register to vote, or to find out if your Social Security Number is required for voter registration in your state, the FTC says to contact your local election office or check the US Election Assistance Commission's National Voter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/eac_assets/1/6/Federal_Voter_Registration_ENG.pdf">Registration Form</a>.

Here are the most common election scams and how to keep yourself safe

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 2024 election cycle has been a brutal assault on our text message inbox.</li><li>Political groups seem to keep texting even after you reply, "STOP!"</li></ul>It's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-watch-for-election-day-harris-trump-congress-2024-11">Election Day</a> in the United States, and that means that come Wednesday morning, about half the country will be miserable, and half will be elated. One guy in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polymarket-election-predictions-trump-harris-pop-culture-bets-2024-10">France who bet $30 million on Trump winning</a> will feel something. There's also a chance that, as in 2020, our nation will groggily awaken to no result, existing in frantic limbo for a few days.But whatever that outcome is, one thing will unify both sides: Those awful campaign text messages will finally stop.For the past few months, my phone has been under constant assault from groups pleading for donations or trying to get me to click on shady-seeming links. I've gotten the messages from both sides — all sides, even.If you, too, have felt bombarded with political texts, you're not alone. The CEO of a big texting platform <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://rumbleup.com/blog/digital-dialogues-political-texting-in-2024">said in May that he expected</a> 50% more political texts to be sent by Election Day this year when compared to 2022 — more than 25 billion of them.What's most vexing is that it seems impossible to get them to stop. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/political-text-messages-stop-17cf2abb">Joanna Stern for The Wall Street Journal</a> recently wrote about how she replied '"STOP" to one message, and then got 100 more. She spoke to people who worked at political texting firms, who confirmed her suspicions: If you reply "STOP," it can just confirm to these outfits that your number is active.You might not get any more texts from the specific group or political action committee that sent the text you responded to, but the campaign texting service now knows your number is active — and can sell your number to a different candidate or group.The result is like plucking a gray hair — pull one, and more sprout up in its place.<div type="image" title="screenshot of text messages" height="965" width="1286" msid="114991382" hostid="261" sizebytes="47390"></div><h2 id="49092f4a-b0ac-4081-8507-603e9274da3e">What the political text rules say</h2>The Federal Trade Commission <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.fcc.gov/rules-political-campaign-calls-and-texts#:~:text=Political%20Robotexts&amp;text=If%20you%20are%20receiving%20texts,if%20you%20reply%20%22STOP.%22">makes rules</a> around robocalls and robotexts: They're exempt from the federal "Do Not Call" list, but there are other rules they have to follow — political messages sent by an autodialer require "the called party's express consent." But messages sent manually don't require an opt-in, so that's why you get so many messages saying, "Hi, Katie! It's Suzie from thus-and-so candidate."The FTC says you can report receiving texts you didn't ask for by forwarding the messages to 7726, or "SPAM."(A moment here to acknowledge all the Android users who are going to tell me that Android is much better at filtering out these spammy messages than the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-mac-products-great-classic-boring-2023-11">iPhone</a>. I see you, I acknowledge you, I respect you. Please do not email me telling me I should switch to Android.)This is an election where one of the biggest topics was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/what-is-inflation">prices at the grocery store</a> — a tangible pain point Americans feel in their everyday lives. But what about a different kind of pain — the pain of getting a text and thinking it's going to be something exciting, and then it's just political spam? Awful.The good news is, I'm sure by 2028, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-chatgpt-perplexity-election-hub-ai-information-risks-2024-11">AI will have solved</a> all of this

Election Day means at least one good thing: No more political text messages!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a record $579.5 million in daily outflows on Monday.</li><li>The outflows come as traders prep for volatility amid election uncertainty following the vote. </li></ul>Investors pulled a record amount from bitcoin exchange-traded funds to start the week as they prepared for volatility in the world's largest crypto amid potential election uncertainty. Bloomberg data shows that the 12 spot bitcoin ETFs in the market lost $579.5 million on Monday. That's a record daily outflow for the funds since they first came to market in January. Bitcoin has been volatile in the week leading up to the vote, edging toward all-time highs last week before pulling back again below $70,000. On Tuesday, the token was up by about 1.5%, trading at $69,553. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-swing-state-polls-photo-finish-2024-11">remain virtually tied</a> in the final polls. Prediction markets, meanwhile, show Trump with a sizable lead, though betting odds have also swung toward Harris in recent days. The uncertainty will likely stoke <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-market-outlook-trump-harris-presidency-election-economy-analysts-strategy-2024-11?utm_source=Iterable&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=campaign_Insider%20Today%20%E2%80%94%20November%205,%202024">market volatility</a>, experts say."We expect Monday and Tuesday to be quiet for markets, however, once we get the first drip feed of results on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, expect fireworks," Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said in a note.Other analysts also said they expect uncertainty to rattle markets, especially if votes have to be recounted in key states. "The election looks significantly more of a contest than many had been expecting, which could provide a more protracted and volatile period ahead as we see potential recounts and challenges to potentially drag out this process," Scope Markets' Joshua Mahony said in a note.Outcomes in swing states could be early indicators of a Trump or Harris victory, though. Troy Ludtka, Senior US Economist at SMBC, says a Trump win in key swing states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania could deliver an election outcome by midnight, or at least provide an early indication of who will win.The crypto industry's volatility comes as both candidates have targeted crypto voters.Trump has been vocal about his support for the industry this year, billing himself as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-going-for-crypto-bro-vote-world-liberty-financial-2024-9?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">"crypto president."</a> Harris has also courted crypto voters, marking a shift from President Joe Biden's administration, which has pursued a stringent regulatory agenda led by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bitcoin ETFs see highest daily outflows ever as traders brace for Election Day volatility

Days after Trump won his way to the White House, becoming the 47th President of the United States, the US Federal Reserve slashed the interest rates by 25 basis points, bringing them within the range of 4.5-4.75%. This is the second time this year that the Fed has lowered the interest rates, after cutting them down by 50 basis points in September 2024. u Fed chair Jerome Powell noted that monetary policy remains tight as inflation remains elevated at 2.4% as of September 2024, slightly above the 2% mark set by the commission. However, the Fed remained optimistic about the current state of the economy. "The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at 2% over the longer run. The Committee judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance. The economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate," the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) noted in its press release. The rate cut was along widely anticipated lines, although experts were wary of the Fed's way ahead, given that Donald Trump has been elected as the US President. In the past, he has, on multiple occasions, expressed his desire to yield greater influence on the Fed, apart from publicly criticizing Powell. However, Powell continued to stand his ground, noting that Trump cannot legally sack him. He believed in keeping the Fed independent, at least until his tenure as governor ends in 2028. He highlighted that even if he is explicitly asked by Trump to quit, he won't do so. <h2>Trump's regime to inch up inflation?</h2> Trump's electoral promises, if translated into policies, could spell disaster for the Fed's effort to curtail inflation. Reportedly, Trump has promised to levy aggressive tariffs against US trading partners, particularly China, and even extend his 2017 tax cuts. This could mean higher levels of the federal deficit, which would push up prices, wages, and hence, inflation, even as the Fed tries to consistently bring it under control. Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives and Research, SAMCO Securities, notes that it wasn't a surprise when the US Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.75%. The Fed had given enough clues, and the market too had anticipated these rate cuts. "However, what was surprising was how the <keyword id="23863852" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-10-year-bond-yields" source="keywords">US 10-year bond yields</keyword> moved over the last one and a half months, which have been rising relentlessly from 3.6% to almost 4.5% despite the 50 bps cut in the last Fed meeting. It seems that the market is anticipating slower rate cuts going ahead, and maybe there are even chances of inflation rising. The bond yields have cooled off and slipped below the 4.335% mark. This should be bullish for emerging markets like India," he added.

US Fed cuts interest rates by 25 bps, Powell notes Trump's victory to have no impact on policy decisions

<keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> candidate and Olympic wrestler <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords">Vinesh Phogat</keyword> has emerged victorious in the fiercely contested <keyword id="23069853" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Julana" source="keywords">Julana</keyword> Assembly seat in <keyword id="19904807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haryana" source="keywords">Haryana</keyword>’s <keyword id="19958795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jind-district" source="keywords">Jind district</keyword>. According to the Election Commission, Phogat secured her maiden political win over <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword> rival Yogesh Kumar by a margin of around 6,000 votes. Early trends indicated Phogat’s lead over Kumar, which progressively widened as the day progressed, culminating in a decisive victory after 15 rounds of vote counting. Polling for the assembly elections in Haryana took place on October 5, with vote counting commencing at 8 AM today. Phogat totaled 65,080 votes, capturing the attention of both supporters and political analysts who lauded her successful transition from a celebrated wrestler to a formidable political figure. Notably, Phogat’s win brings the Julana seat back into Congress’s hands after 19 years. Bajrang Punia, a fellow wrestler and Congress leader who joined the party alongside Phogat, took to social media to express his support and pride. On platform X, he wrote, “Many congratulations to the country's daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory. This fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties. This fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country. And Vinesh emerged victorious.” As Congress celebrated Phogat’s success, the party raised concerns over alleged discrepancies in the Election Commission’s real-time data display. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera stated, “There is a mismatch in the actual number of rounds counted and the number of rounds being shown on the television through the Election Commission data. The EC data is lagging behind; they are still showing fourth or fifth-round data while 11 rounds have been counted. Our General Secretary Communications has tweeted to the Election Commission asking – are [they] trying to put pressure on the local administration by delaying the display and uploading of data. In J&amp;K you are getting live data with every round counted but in Haryana, it is not so.” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh echoed these concerns, questioning the accuracy of the election data displayed. He remarked, “Like the Lok Sabha elections, in Haryana, we are again witnessing a slowing down of uploading up-to-date trends on the ECI website. Is the BJP trying to build pressure on the administration by sharing outdated and misleading trends?” Vinesh Phogat’s win in Julana marks a significant political debut, as she navigates a new arena beyond the wrestling mat. The victory represents not only a win for Congress in Haryana but also an influential addition to the party’s roster as it seeks to counter BJP’s influence in the state. As the results solidify, Phogat’s supporters are celebrating the historic nature of her triumph and its broader implications for Haryana’s political landscape. This story underscores the shifting dynamics within Haryana’s political scene, with Phogat’s victory exemplifying Congress’s strategic push to appeal to voters through candidates who resonate on a personal level with constituents. The state now waits to see how Phogat will leverage her influence both within her party and her constituency in the coming years. (With inputs from agencies)

You Searched For "state election commissions" and got 12 results

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Here are the most common election scams and how to keep yourself safe

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Election Day means at least one good thing: No more political text messages!

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Bitcoin ETFs see highest daily outflows ever as traders brace for Election Day volatility

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US Fed cuts interest rates by 25 bps, Powell notes Trump's victory to have no impact on policy decisions

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From disqualified in Olympics to gold in Haryana: Vinesh Phogat wins big in Julana, ending BJP's 19-year streak

BI India Bureau

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