Since the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines, there are
various controversies which came into limelight with time.
Political party, when they lost the elections often blamed the Electronic
Voting Machines for defeat.
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| source: the hindu |
What is an EVM?
EVMs or electronic voting
machines provides the voter with a button for each choice which is
connected by a cable to an electronic ballot box.
Earlier elections used to
happen through ballet paper. The paper used to have the name of candidates and
the symbol of their party in front of them. However, EVM has machine format of
ballot paper, and it saves the votes in electronic form.
An EVM consists of two units–control unit and balloting
unit–and these two are connected by a five-meter cable. When a voter presses a
button against the candidate, he/she wishes to vote for, the machine locks
itself. This EVM can be opened only with a new ballot number. This way, EVMs
ensure that one person gets to vote only once.
The use of EVM started back in
1982 Kerala Assembly elections. Prior to this only ballot papers and ballot
boxes were allowed.
What is VVPAT?
Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT)
or verifiable paper record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters
using a ballot less voting system. A VVPAT allows voters the possibility to verify that
their votes are cast as intended and can serve as an additional barrier to
changing or destroying votes.
Why is EVM so controversial?
Since the introduction of EVM,
some of the political leaders made huge cry of cheating and even some of them
wanted the method to be changed to ballot system.
In the end of 2018, the
Opposition parties are set to send a joint memorandum to the Election
Commission demanding that the machines should be replaced at the earliest with
ballot paper.
The parties, in a draft
memorandum circulated among the signatories, demanded that a physical counter
check of the paper trail and matching it with electronic vote should happen
mandatorily in at least 50% of all EVMs.
It is an implement able
reform without any additional cost, they argued.
They also demanded that in case the difference of votes cast in
favour of the winning candidates and the one coming second is less than five %,
then there should be mandatory counting of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit
Trail (VVPAT) in every polling station of that constituency.
Not only that while Lok Sabha
election were being held during May 2019, just before one or two days before
the result was about to declare, the opposition leaders demanded that there
should be 100 % verification of the entire assembly segment. In case, a
mismatch is found during the random check.
The demand was raised by 22 leaders of Opposition parties.
The opposition leaders even demanded that the
VVPATs should be counted in five polling booths per Assembly segment before the
counting of votes.
In case of any discrepancy is in VVPAT
verification, 100% counting of the slips at all polling stations be done in
that particular segment.
However, the Election Commission rejected the
demand of Opposition parties for tallying of the Voter Verified Paper Audit
Trail (VVPAT) slips in five polling booths in each Assembly segment with the
electronic voting machines (EVMs) prior to the counting of votes.
The Commission took up the matter in his meeting
and after deliberations, decided to reject the demands.
Why EVMs are in controversy?
The only way an EVM can be
tampered with is by physically opening it up and replacing the chipset inside
it. The chipset used is non-reprogrammable and data is ‘burnt’ into the device.
So, today it is possible to replace the chip if we have access to EVMs.
These specifications were given
by the Election commissioner himself during an interview on Rajya Sabha TV.
The Election Commission of India
even kept an open challenge during 2018 for tempering with the EVM.
There were various videos and
news circulating across the web blaming the government for cheating to win,
however, the government does not play part in conducting the elections.
The only constitutional body to
conduct free and fair election is the- Election Commission of India.
On the VVPAT (voter verifiable
paper audit trail) front too, there are reports of malfunctioning. Also, as per
the rules, paper ballots and VVPAT machines are not counted until the Returning
Officer asks for it.
Therefore, the election commission often denied the report of
tempering as EVM’s are no where connected to with any other device, or
internet. The entire data is collected in a pre-inserted chip. EVM’s remain
under high security and are assigned randomly for different places.
Why is India using EVMs?
Using EVMs means doing away
with paper ballots, and in turn, saving millions of trees from being cut.
It makes the entire process of
voting simpler-a click on the button and your vote is registered. EVMs, in the
long-run, have turned out to be cost-effective as well. These machines don’t
require electricity and run on batteries. At the same time, the EVMs are
lighter and portable compared to the huge ballot boxes.
And most importantly, EVMs have
made the vote-counting process much faster, delivering results in hours as
against manual counting of votes which could take days.
Why to support EVM?
EVMs led to a significant
decline in electoral fraud, particularly in politically sensitive States as
rigging elections became extremely expensive.
Research has shown a link
between luminosity and growth rate, suggesting that EVMs contribute to
development.
EVMs empowered those from
the weaker sections of society who were victims of political or electoral
violence. In particular, women, lower castes, and those less educated were more
likely to participate in the electoral process when EVMs were used.
EVMs made the electoral process
more competitive.
There has been a
significant decline in the incidence of re-election, and winning margins have
reduced dramatically. Less time-consuming process happens.
Arguments that are in favour of
Paper Ballot
Invariably come across reports
of malfunctioning EVMs. Reliability of EVM lead to the trust issue where people
want the previous system to be worked.
Disadvantage and Issues related to there are problems of
paper ballot.
o Transporting them
and guarding them is a problem.
o Ballot boxes can
be captured.
o Ghost voters who
did not exist voted for the parties.
o Credibility as
election frauds
o Time consuming
Read More about
Conclusion
Indian EVM’s do not have
electricity, or internet connectivity. The only thing which it has a chip,
which is produced in a government own PSU.EVM can be tempered only when it is
opened and replace the chip.
CHIPS can be replaced BUT ONLY
IN LAB. However, the truth is that EVM chip can’t be replaced just like
that as per election commissioner’s statement.
Election commission finds it hard to maintain credibility, as
controversy does not seem to die. Election commission even kept an open
challenge but none came in front to temper with it. VVPAT should be installed,
or more awareness campaign should be promoted by government.
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