India uses electronic voting machines (EVMs) as its standard method of conducting elections. It is a voting device that electronically records votes. A control unit (CU) as well as a voting unit, which are connected by a five-meter line, make up an EVM. The Control Unit is maintained by the Chairman of the Board and/or the Voting Officer, while the Polling Unit is situated within the polling place.
By pushing the blue button on that candidate’s voting unit & choosing his preferred symbol, the voter may cast his vote using the electronic voting machine. As soon as the last person casts his ballot, the poll worker presses the “close button” to ensure that the EVM doesn’t accept any more ballots. After the election, the voting apparatus is removed from the control unit and stored separately.
EVM Full Form
The full form of EVM is Electronic Voting Machine. It is a machine. Voter turnout is collected using it. Voters are free to select any political group they like. There are numerous buttons on the EVM for various candidates. There is a party emblem located above each of these buttons. A wire connects each of these buttons to the computerized voting device.
Electronic voting machine (EVM)
A 5-meter wire connects the control unit with the balloting unit, which makes up an EVM. The Control Unit is under the direction of the Presiding Officer / Polling Officer. On the other hand, the balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment. The poll worker in charge of the control unit hits the ball button rather than utilizing traditional ballot paper.
By clicking the blue button next to the candidate and a symbol of their choosing, the voter may cast their ballot at the balloting unit. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were first used in general elections or elections for state legislatures in India in 1999, and they have been used exclusively since 2004.
The EVM is faster at casting votes and reporting results than a traditional voting method. With the use of EVMs, the likelihood of fraudulent voting, fake voting, and booth capture may all be considerably reduced. EVMs are simpler for those with little literacy to use than traditional ballots. Compared to ballot boxes, EVMs are simpler to transfer and return.
The origins of EVM
A mechanical voting machine was patented for the New York election of 1889. Over time, the method acquired widespread acceptance and the meaning of the acronym EVM improved. It gained popularity and underwent several modifications. Votomatic punch cards with holes were first used during the 1965 California elections. Voter registration was made simple via cutting-edge and high-speed communication technology. As seen by their widespread use, EVM machines have virtually replaced the traditional ballot paper model in India.
Several EVM-related details
- EVMs were initially used in 50 polling places within the Parur Assembly Constituency in Kerala in 1982.
- The Election Reform Committee was founded by the Central Government in 1990 and includes members of several well-known national and local parties.
- On March 24, 1992, the government’s Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification directing lawmakers to amend the legislation governing the conduct of elections in 1961 if needed
- Electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been used in each parliamentary and assembly seat’s general and by-election elections since 1998.
Characteristics of EVM
The EVM machine includes several characteristics, including:
- It runs on batteries.
- It is impossible to vote illegally with EVMs.
- The EVM Machine can be used with relative ease even in places without electricity.
- An EVM machine is used to perform the election when there are greater than 64 candidates. • The EVM machine is entirely tamper-proof and very user-friendly.
- The EVM machine has indeed been programmed such that once you have pressed any button as well as voted in it, you will not be allowed to vote against the same candidate again, speeding up the vote-counting procedure and saving money and time on printing.
What are a few advantages of EVMs?
These are some advantages of using an EVM; it significantly reduces the likelihood of erroneous votes. Paper waste is reduced through the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). EVM machines are easy to put together and take apart. This saves money while also resulting in more comfortable travel. The devices may be utilized in places without electricity because they are battery-powered.
What is the past of the EVM?
Electronic voting devices were created and tested in the 1990s by the state-owned Electronics Corporation of India and Bharat Electronics. They were eventually used in Indian elections between 1998 and 2001. Since 2004, elections for the national and state legislatures in India have been conducted using electronic voting machines. In 2011, the Supreme Court of India directed the Election Commission to include a paper record.
To help with the verification of EVM dependability, the Election Commission created EVMs with a Voter-Verified Paper Audit System between 2012 and 2013. This strategy was tested in the general elections held in India in 2014.
All general assemblies and elections in India presently use electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs), with just a tiny portion of VVPATs being certified.
On April 9, 2019, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission of India (ECI) to use VVPAT document tracking technology in every Legislative Assembly constituency.
What exactly does EVM mean?
The electronic voting machine is referred to as an EVM. This is the voting procedure used in India. Voting was previously done using ballot paper with voting slips, but it was time-consuming and the counting of the votes took three to four days. An electrical device called an EVM machine was employed to address this issue.
The Control Unit and the Balloting Unit, which are joined by a 5-meter cable, are the two components that make up the EVM. Voting through the balloting unit, which is controlled by the control unit in such devices, identifies the voter.
While the voter utilizes the balloting unit, the poll worker uses the control unit. Before the poll worker activated the control unit’s button, no voter could cast a ballot. Regardless of how many times you press the button, this machine locks itself once a vote is cast.
All about EVM device
A device that electronically records votes is known as an electronic voting machine (EVM). In 1982, EVMs were first used to replace paper ballots in Kerala’s Assembly District No. 70 Paravur. In electronic voting machines, a control unit is maintained by the poll worker, and a ballot unit is kept inside the voting compartment. The poll worker must release a ballot by pressing the ballot button located on the control unit.
By pressing the blue button just above the party symbol and the election symbol of their choice, voters can cast their votes. Since 2001, there have been several discussions about EVM instability, although the Election Commission disputes the idea that EVMs might be exploited to trick voters.
EVMs run without electricity since they are powered by regular batteries. On an EVM, a total of 2,000 votes may be recorded. The collected votes are kept in the control unit’s memory until an EVM is replaced if it malfunctions. The information may be stored in the control unit’s memory until it is either erased or destroyed. It is prohibited to switch out paper rolls at voting places.
The names of the candidates are listed on the ballot paper in alphabetical order, with candidates of national political parties shown first and then those of other state-registered parties. The Commission’s EVM tracking software randomly distributes the EVMs in two phases before sending them to the voting places. If a voter claims that their vote was inaccurate, the Presiding Officer may request a written declaration from the candidate. This is in accordance with Rule 49MA of the Election Conduct Rules, 1961.
If the voter presents a written declaration as indicated in sub-rule (1) of rule 49MA, the Presiding Officer may let the elected official register a test vote inside the voting machine in his presence and observe that a paper slip has been created.
The Presiding Officer should contact the Returning Officer right away. He should halt all voting at a certain voting machine. He should also comply with the Returning Officer’s orders if it turns out that the claim is true. The Technical Expert Committee of the Election Commission is in charge of creating and designing the EVMs in collaboration with the two PSUs.
The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is vitally important during voting. The VVPAT is an additional device attached to the EVM that helps the voter confirm their vote. Following the vote, a slip is created and made accessible for 7 seconds through one window. It contains the candidate’s serial number, name, and symbol. The generated slip is then deposited in the VVPAT’s secure drop box. Only engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited inspect the EVMs and VVPATs.
Advantages of EVM
- I’ve mentioned various EVM Fides in this article.
- Although it is pricey when we purchase it when we take into account its utilization and long-term advantages, it is worthwhile.
- By using this, you may prevent the destruction of many trees, which is good for the environment. These are useless in a voting system, though.
- It can be used practically anywhere and is battery-powered.
- These are more affordable than ballot voting.
- This strategy allows for quite a quick vote counting.
- It is easy enough to use for those without literacy.
- In this case, changing the vote is difficult.
Hope this article has helped you to know about EVM Full Form and all the important details.
