Election FAQs: How do EVMs work?

With three Northeast states gearing up for exercising their franchise, all major political parties have shifted their focus to Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya. Over the last few days, several political leaders visited the three states, which are scheduled to go for polls in February, to woo the voters with promises.

Meanwhile, as voters too hear multiple poll pitches and prepare to vote in the upcoming Assembly elections, here is all you need to know about the Electronic Voting Machine, or EVM and how it functions.

Also Read — Most opposition parties have decided to oppose EC's proposal on remote voting machine, says Digvijaya Singh

What is an EVM?

An EVM or electronic voting machine is a white box with blue buttons that enable a voter to pick a candidate of their choice in their constituency. The electronic device aids the voting process and has two units - Control and Balloting. The former lies with the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer while the latter is placed in the voting compartment.

Instead of issuing a ballot paper, the officer who is placed in charge of the Control unit releases a ballot by pressing the Ballot button on the Control unit. The two units are connected by a five-meter cable and once a ballot has been issued, voters can cast their vote by pressing the blue button on the Balloting unit.

Who designs and makes EVMs?

EVMs are designed and devised by the Technical Experts Committee of the ECI in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bangalore and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd, Hyderabad. The two public sector undertakings also manufacture EVMs.

Why use EVMs?

EVMs remove the possibility of casting 'Invalid Votes' which often exceeded the winning margin, in the past, numerous times and led to litigations. With EVMs, a more accurate and authentic reflection of the choice of the electorate is possible. Further, they reduce the time taken to count votes from an average of 30-40 hours during the paper ballot system to just 3-5 hours.

When was the EVM first introduced in elections?

EVMs manufactured in 1989-90 were used on experimental basis for the first time in 16 Assembly Constituencies in the States of Madhya Pradesh (5), Rajasthan (5) and NCT of Delhi (6) at the General Elections to the respective Legislative Assemblies held in November, 1998.

How many votes can be cast in an EVM?

A maximum of 2,000 votes can be recorded by an EVM.

How many candidates can an EVM cater to?

M2 EVMs (2006-2010) can cater to a maximum of 64 candidates including NOTA. There is a provision to cater to 16 candidates in the Balloting unit and if there are more candidates, an additional four Balloting units can be attached to ramp up the capacity to 64.

M3 EVMs (post-2013) can cater to a maximum of 384 candidates including NOTA, by connecting 24 Balloting units.

In case the number of contesting candidates goes beyond 64 in any constituency, EVMs cannot be used in such a constituency. The conventional method of voting by means of ballot box and ballot paper will have to be adopted in such a constituency.

What happens if an EVM at a polling station goes out of order?

If an EVM at a polling station goes out of order, it is replaced with a new one. Polling does not have to begin from scratch since votes cast thus far remain in the memory of the Control unit. On counting day, votes from both Control units are counted to determine the result.

Can EVMs work without electricity?

EVMs run on an ordinary 6 volt alkaline battery. Therefore, even in areas with no power connections, EVMs can be used. The design, which does away with external power connections to the devices, also ensures there is no chance of receiving an electric shock at the time of pressing the `blue button’ or at any time of handling the balloting unit.