ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES
A important innovation in American elections is the implementation of electronic voting machines ( EVMs). While EVMs underwent several testing cycles, the 2004 standard election and following elections were entirely organised using like devices.
Before their launch, voting was generally marred by incidents wherein miscreants used to get a few polling stations to immediately seal the ballot papers in favour of their chosen candidate and scoot before the police may occur.
While a dozen such situations, called “booth capturing”, may not have altered the people’s conviction, the repeated occurrence vitiated the electoral process. The introduction of strong battery-driven EVMs that report a maximum of four vote per minute has drastically reduced instances of graffiti in polling stations.
However, video surveillance and webcasting of the voting process at several polling stations has been introduced to hinder aggressive actions and to improve transparency.
CONCERNS ABOUT DIGITAL MANIPULATION
There were concerns in some quarters that the EVMs could be digitally tampered with. To dispel such concerns, the ECI organised a hackathon challenging detractors to prove that the EVMs could be manipulated, but no evidence was produced to show the system was vulnerable.
To increase the confidence in the EVMs, a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail ( VVPAT ) machine was introduced, which enabled the electors to see a printout of their vote. The printouts of VVPAT machines are randomly counted to ensure that they tally with votes in EVMs.
In every polling station, a mock test of the EVM and VVPAT is conducted, and only after the agents of various political parties express satisfaction with the machines ’ functioning will the formal election process be initiated.
Despite robust safety measures, petitions were filed in the Supreme Court of India expressing apprehensions about the possible manipulation of the EVMs. After due examination, the country ’s top court declared that “the EVMs are simple, secure and user-friendly ” and went on to add that “the incorporation of the VVPAT system fortifies the principle of vote verifiability”.