EC develops RVM prototype for domestic migrant voters; how does it work?

The Election Commission on Thursday announced that it has developed a prototype of a remote electronic voting machine (RVM) for domestic migrant voters and has invited political parties for a demonstration on January 16. If implemented, migrant voters will no longer need to travel to their home districts to vote and it will see an increase in voters’ participation.

What is an RVM and how does it work?

The EC in association the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) has modified the M3 version of the Electronic Voting Machine to developed a multi-constituency Remote Voting Machine (RVM) for facilitating participation of domestic migrants from the places of their current residence for voting for their home constituencies.

The modified form of the EVM can facilitate voting in up to 72 multiple constituencies from a single remote polling booth located outside the constituencies going to polls.

RVMs will be set up in remote locations outside the state under conditions similar to the current polling booths. Migrant workers, who frequently keep moving from one place to another, do not often get their names enrolled at the places they work. This unwillingness is borne out of a number of various factors.

Block diagram of RVM. Credit: PTI Photo

What sets an RVM apart is its feature that a single Remote Ballot Unit (RBU) will cater to multiple constituencies with the help of a ‘dynamic ballot display board’. In the case of EVMs, printed paper ballot sheets are used. The candidates from each constituency will be displayed on Ballot Unit Overlay Display (BUOD) as such once the constituency number on the voter’s constituency card is read. The reading of these cards will be done using a barcode scanning system.

How will the voting work?

The proposed system of using the RVM will include the domestic migrant pre-registering for remote voting by applying online or offline within the pre-notified time before elections.

The request will be approved after verification of details at the home constituency followed by establishment of remote voting polling stations in the places of the current residence of the migrant voters, the EC proposed in its letter to the political parties.

The voter’s identity is verified and the constituency card will be read. The list of candidates and details of constituencies will be displayed on the BUOD in the RVM’s RBU. Once the user votes, the vote will be stored on the basis of constituency in the control unit of the voting machine.

The Election Commission has listed a few limitations that are yet to be addressed.

Method of remote voting, the familiarity of the voters with the methods/Multi-Constituency Remote EVM or any other technology and counting of votes cast at remote booths and transmit to RO located in other States are listed as technological challenges.

Providing a controlled environment - ensuring secrecy of voting at remote locations, provision of polling agents at remote voting booths & ensuring identification of voters to avoid impersonation and the number of booths to be set up & locations are some of the administrative challenges.

Apart from these, several legal challenges have also been listed.

(With inputs from PTI)