Electronic Voting Machine

• Electronic Voting Machine (also known as EVM) is voting using electronic means to either aid or take care of the chores of casting and counting votes.

Constituents:

• An EVM is designed with two units - the control unit and the balloting unit joined together by a cable.
• The control unit of the EVM is kept with the presiding officer or the polling officer.
• The balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes.

How does voting work with EVMs?

• With the EVM, instead of issuing a ballot paper, the polling officer will press the Ballot Button which enables the voter to cast their vote.
• A list of candidates’ names and/or symbols will be available on the machine with a blue button next to it.
• The voter can press the button next to the candidate’s name they wish to vote for.

What are VVPATs?

• Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) implies that a paper slip is generated bearing name and symbol of the candidate along with recording of vote in Control Unit, so that in case of any dispute, paper slip could be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM.
• Under VVPAT, a printer is attached to the balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip remains visible on VVPAT for 7 seconds through a transparent window.

On the design of EVMs in India:

• The controller used in EVMs has its operating program etched permanently in silicon at the time of manufacturing by the manufacturer and cannot be altered.
• An EVM can record a maximum of 2000 votes. Each EVM can handle 16 candidates. Upto 24 EVMs can be connected in parallel amounting to a maximum of 384 candidates in a single polling station.
• As soon as a particular button on the balloting unit is pressed, the vote is recorded for that particular candidate and the machine gets locked.
• This way the EVMs ensure the principle of "one person, one vote".

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVM):
1.Before every vote in an EVM, the polling officer needs to press a ballot button.
2.A Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machine generates a paper slip bearing name, party and symbol of the candidate
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2 
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question