People who have voted in recent times are likely to be familiar with the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) - with the Lok Sabha polls in just almost a month, here is all you need to know about EVMs and how they function.
EVMs aid in the casting and counting of votes. An EVM is a white box with buttons and has a Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine attached to it.
It is a device used to electronically record and count votes cast in elections.
An EVM consists of two units – a control unit and a balloting unit. The balloting unit has a five-meter cable, which is used to join the control unit with the it. The control unit remains with the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer and the balloting unit is placed inside the voting compartment. The control unit can store the result in its memory for 10 years and more.
The Polling Officer in charge of the control unit presses the ‘ballot’ button provided on the unit for releasing the ballot for the voter. It enables the voter to cast his vote by pressing the candidate button (blue button) on the balloting unit against the candidate and party symbol of their choice.
It is not possible to vote more than once by pressing the button repeatedly. As soon as a particular button on the balloting unit is pressed, the vote is recorded for that particular chosen candidate and the machine gets locked.
Even if one presses that button further or any other button, no further vote can be recorded, unless ‘ballot’ button provided on the control unit is pressed to release the ballot. This way the EVMs ensure the principle of 'one man, one vote.'
A maximum of 2,000 votes can be recorded in an EVM.
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.
The matter regarding use of EVMs was referred by the government to electoral reforms committee, appointed by the government in February 1990, consisting of several recognised national and state parties.
The EVMs were demonstrated before that committee and, though the committee was satisfied with their functioning, it appointed a technical experts committee.
A VVPAT or verified paper record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballotless voting system. A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction, and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results. It contains the name of the candidate (for whom the vote has been cast) and symbol of the party/individual candidate.