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How safe are EVMs?

Are your votes correctly

processed by the machines?

efore we go into the pros India is the biggest democracy instead of Ballot Boxes.
and cons of EVMs ver- The EVMs have two main compo-
sus ballot papers, let us of the world and the most nents: the control Unit, that stores and
understand the two. In the powerful weapon the citizens assembles votes and used by poll work-
B traditional Ballot Paper have is the universal franchise ers and ballot unit, used by the voter
voting system, the votes were cast by and placed in the election booth. A
the means of the papers in which the enshrined in our Constitution. cable connects these both units, which
voter used to vote by marking the ballot But are Electronic Voting has its one end permanently fixed to
paper with a rubber stamp on or near- the ballot unit. The system is motorized
by the symbol of the candidate as per Machines (EVMs) safe and by a battery pack inside the control unit.
personal choice, the voter then folds the transparent? The question The balloting unit has 16 candidate but-
ballot paper and put it in the ballot box assumes added significance tons and if any of them is unused, they
that used to be kept safe in the watch are covered with a plastic masking tab
of allotted officers and polling agents in view of objections raised by inside the unit. EVMs are internation-
of the candidates. Papers voting was as many as 17 political parties ally known as DREs (Direct Recording
earlier supposed to be the cheapest Electronic) EVMs have been in univer-
way of conducting the voting process. and Election Commission sal use in India since the general elec-
It included least expense and complexi- vehemently ruling out a return tions of 2004 when paper ballots were
ties. But since 1998, the Commission to old, hackneyed ballot system completely out of trend.
has increased the usage of the Coming back to the allegations
Electronic Voting Machine system of yore, writes sarrah against the EVMs, the Election Com-