On Friday, the Madras High Court in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to mandate the Election Commission of India (ECI) to implement a system allowing voters to receive SMS confirmation after casting their votes. The court, led by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, highlighted that the Representation of the People Act prohibits changes to the election process once it has commenced. The petitioner, the Tamil Nadu Isai Vellalar Youth Welfare Association, argued that similar SMS confirmations are routinely sent for various transactions, such as ration purchases and bank dealings, to ensure transparency. However, the court advised the petitioner to wait until the next election cycle to propose the system, as immediate changes are not feasible during the current election process. The association has been advocating for this SMS system for the past two years, but no action has been taken by the ECI despite initial consideration.