Democracy at Risk: An Analysis of Electronic Voting Machines Security And Their Impact On Indian Democracy.

Elections in India are conducted almost exclusively using electronic voting machines developed over the past two decades by a pair of government-owned companies. These devices, known in India as EVMs, have been praised for their simple design, ease of use, and reliability, but recently they have also been criticized because of widespread reports of election irregularities. Despite this criticism, many details of the machines ’ design have never been publicly disclosed, and they have not been subjected to a rigorous, independent security evaluation. In this paper, we present a security analysis of a real Indian EVM obtained from an anonymous source. We describe the machine’s design and operation in detail, and we evaluate its security, in light of relevant election procedures. We conclude that in spite of the machine’s simplicity and minimal software trusted computing base, it is vulnerable to serious attacks that can alter election results and violate the secrecy of the ballot. We demonstrate two attacks, implemented using custom hardware, which could be carried out by dishonest election insiders or other criminals with only brief physical access to the machines. This case study contains important lessons for Indian elections and for electronic voting security more generally. 1

Book Review| November 01 2002 Democracy in India Democracy in India. Edited By Niraja Gopal Jayal. Delhi and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 571 pp. $45.00 (cloth). Sanjib Baruah Sanjib Baruah Bard College Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Journal of Asian Studies (2002) 61 (4): 1411–1413. https://doi.org/10.2307/3096504 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Sanjib Baruah; Democracy in India. Journal of Asian Studies 1 November 2002; 61 (4): 1411–1413. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/3096504 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsJournal of Asian Studies Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 20022002 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

After the 2009 general elections in India a controversy started about the electronic voting machines (EVM) that are used nationwide since 2004. Political parties, activists, and academics raised suspicion that the machines might have been manipulated to alter the election outcome. There is no proof that EVMs have been manipulated in any of the past elections. However, concerned people claim that the risk is there. This paper takes a closer look at the Indian voting machine technology and the discussions around alleged security holes. The authors take a closer look at this particular controversy. Additionally, we want to provide the reader with information about the Indian electronic voting system more generally. This includes reasons to change from the earlier paper ballot system and design challenges for EVM in the Indian context. We are writing within the frame of a theoretical model called Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), developed by Wiebe Bijker and Trevor Pinch (1987). Along the lines of this model we argue that after the EVM was adopted in India, different “relevant social groups” interpreted the EVM in diverse ways. From the social constructivist perspective, we argue that there has been not just one but rather at least three different EVMs. With time the “interpretative flexibility” diminished and “relevant social groups” more or less agreed on one interpretation of the EVM. The EVM has “stabilized” and the controversy has been closed basically. We show the SCOT model to be helpful for structuring the controversy in a fruitful manner. The research questions addressed here are: How did the ECI and EVM manufacturers react to allegations made by political parties, VeTA, and voting security researchers that EVMs are vulnerable to manipulation? How was the election practice affected?

The frequency of election has been increased in multiple parts of the country. Being the largest democracy, India takes several months for accomplishing elections. Additionally, the elections demand government works, development, cost, tenure, etc. Since 1999, Electronic Voting Machine [EVM]have deployed widely to ensure that the voting can also be made tamper-proof. India has introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) way back in 2004 for its parliamentary election with 380 million networked voters. EVM, being an electronic system was used to record votes. Only Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited conduct EVM and VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) checks. The sole solution to the issue is introduction of Aadhaar; a unique identification number. The proposed research work introduces a novel concept that provides tamperless and paperless election in India. In summary, this work provides a simple, reliable concept using Blockchain technology and Aadhaar for deploying paperless electronic voting in India.

Gender Motives for Web Acceptance and Use

Elections are necessary for a democratic government to function. The people elect their country’s rulers through an election process. India, being one of the world’s largest democracies, organizes elections as a mega-event which extends over many days. Over 900 million people are eligible to vote, there are over 1.2 million electronic voting devices in use, and over 38 billion dollars has been spent. In India, elections are more complicated than most people realize. This paper analyses the flaws in the current EVM-based voting system and suggests a method of voting that uses a peer-to-peer network that is less vulnerable to hacking and manipulation while also being significantly more efficient. The proposed solution is divided into 3 phases and the entire process is transparent and tamper proof. The implementation costs are low, and the votes can be counted in real time. Another benefit is that, the results can be released the same day as the voting. We perform the above-mentioned digital elections using peer-to-peer technology, which makes the entire voting process more secure and reliable. This paper explains why electronic voting machines (EVMs) are not suited for conducting a tamper-proof, corruption-free election and proposes a new method of voting based on peer-to-peer technology and cryptography.

Digital financial technologies are reshaping the economic landscape, enhancing financial inclusion and sustainable development. This study examines the adoption of cashless transactions among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nepal, focusing on factors like privacy, security, and resource availability through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A structured survey was utilized to gather information from 389 SME owners in the Kathmandu Valley as part of a cross-sectional study design. Path analysis and other quantitative techniques were used to investigate the connections between the adoption of cashless transactions and the main adoption drivers, which include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, privacy concerns, and resource availability. Results show a strong link between these factors and adopting electronic payment systems, with privacy and security being the most significant. While perceived ease of use and usefulness drive adoption, challenges like limited digital literacy and infrastructural constraints exist, especially in rural areas. This study highlights how cashless transactions can help SMEs become more resilient and operationally efficient, which aligns with global trends. It offers practical advice on how financial service providers and legislators can remove obstacles, encourage digital inclusion, and build a strong digital ecosystem.

Americans trust computers to run critical applications in fields such as banking, medicine, and aviation, but a growing technophobic movement believes that no computer can be trusted for electronic voting. Members of this movement claim that in order to have secure elections, Americans must revert to paper ballots. Such claims are not only incorrect but attack the very foundation of our digital society, which is based on the knowledge that information can be reasonably secured. Clearly, no system with a human element - including electronic and nonelectronic voting machines - is error-proof, and specific versions of certain voting machines have security weaknesses. Neither of these facts, however, should be taken as a universal indictment of e-voting. Direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines are electronic machines, similar to ATMs, that let voters view ballots on a screen and make choices using an input device such as buttons or a touchscreen. Some opponents of electronic voting are lobbying for legislation that would require so-called voter-verified paper audit trails for all DRE voting machines. The purpose of the paper audit trails would be to provide proof that the DRE voting machines functioned correctly. Unfortunately, as discussed in this report, paper audit trails for DRE voting machines have several shortcomings. They do not provide complete security to voters and they increase costs and risks. Furthermore, requiring voter-verified paper audit trails would prevent the use of innovative voting technology that offers voters more security, transparency, and reliability than can be delivered with paper audit trails alone. Congress is now considering legislation that would mandate that all DRE voting machines have voter-verified paper audit trails, and many states will vote on similar legislation this year. We believe it is time for the debate on e-voting technology to move beyond a discussion of paper audit trails. To restore voter confidence and promote secure election technology in the United States by ensuring that states can continue to improve their voting systems, this report recommends the following: * Congress and the states should allow the use of fully electronic ballots, not restrict electronic voting systems to those that create paper ballots. * Congress and the states should require that future voting machines have verifiable audit trails, not require machines that create verifiable paper audit trails. * Congress should provide funding for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to issue grants for developing secure cryptographic voting protocols and for pilot testing of new voting technology.

This article studies the patterns of women’s vote in the Lok Sabha elections in India in 2024. It draws upon the National Election Studies (NES) data of 2024 and of previous years to address three key questions related to women’s vote in Indian elections. The first is about the extent of Indian women’s political participation in the wake of increased turnout of women voters and the closing of the gender gap. The second question is about the extent of women’s support to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as their favoured party. In the absence of conclusive evidence on gender-wise patterns of vote, there have been several tentative and speculative analyses regarding the increasing support of women voters to the BJP both at the regional and national elections, especially since 2014. The article uses the unique window of the NES data sets to understand and decipher women’s support for the BJP and other political parties on a timeline. Finally, from within the confines of the empirical evidence provided by the NES data sets, it also tries to address a rather nuanced question of the arrival of women’s agency in the electoral democracy in India. With the help of the NES data sets, it tries to understand whether women vote mainly as women, prioritizing their gendered identities over other kinds of identities, and whether their voting patterns indicate the arrival of an autonomous women’s constituency in Indian democracy.

This case study examines the process of elections in India, and the process of introduction of stand-alone Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) into it, starting from 1970s into it. Other than comparing the technology, operating features and conditions, credibility issues of Indian EVMs in comparison to their global counter-parts; this case study uniquely presents important decision dilemma to local and global policy-makers in following few key areas:1. Keeping in mind the occasional credibility issues that Indian EVM faces in local media, despite certain judicial clearances to it so far; since 2009 - few ruling in Europe have gone against Electronic Voting Machines as democracy is too important to be trusted to black box technology alone. Though Indian EVMs operate fundamentally on different and simplified technology; the steadfast refusal of Election Commission of India to allow any to take away sample EBMs for few days and prove its vulnerability raises questions. However, ground level conditions in India are significantly different from Germany or Netherlands. Keeping these pros and cons in mind - the case asks ECIs choice and continuance of EVMs in India.2. The other part of the case dwells on the process of election - how it happened with ballot-papers prior to EVMs and now with EVMs. Any process - business or government process - must undergo required changes while introducing major technology. The case asks that other than questioning alone the reliability of the EVMs, it is also important to look at the electioneering process with EVMs. This is more so because of the huge number of personnel who have access to these stand-alone EVMs.

In 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the general elections in India with a thumping majority for the second consecutive term. The BJP government has undertaken controversial policies which have been interpreted as flowing from its ideology of Hindutva, an ideology of aggressive Hindu nationalism. As a result of pursuing these policies, there has been a hollowing out of democracy in India according to scholars and reputed international organizations. On the other hand, in the last 8 years, the Indian economy has gone through major slowdowns and policy-induced crises, which the pandemic has further intensified. The paper tries to look at these political and economic processes under the Modi government simultaneously. It shows that the conditions of the Indian people have deteriorated during BJP rule. However, this has not affected the political fortunes of the government. The paper tries to answer how one can view the economic stagnation witnessed during the last 8 years together with the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. We argue that BJP wants to redefine the Indian nation in its Hindutva image. Such a re-imagination backed by state power has postponed the political blowback resulting from the economic crisis. Additionally, the BJP has articulated a new politics for the poor (without redistribution) and a new politics of caste to sustain its hegemony. The enduring dominance of BJP in the political domain of India even after a below-average economic performance during the last 8 years is therefore a result of multiple factors pertaining to Hindutva, nationalism and a new politics of caste and the poor.

Amid the debates as to whether India practises democracy in the true fashion, the stupendous role of the Election Commission of India (ECI) clearly exhibits that India adopts at least a robust electoral democracy. Stringent election codes of conduct are imposed on political parties. The ECI ensures that all Indian citizens eligible for political rights exercise their franchise independently. They are sufficiently empowered to choose their representatives. Since the responsibilities of ensuring free and fair elections are shouldered by the Election Commission, there is no doubt that it holds one of the worthiest roles in shaping Indian democracy. This article seeks to examine the changing role of the ECI in building electoral democracy in the country. Most importantly, the present article attempts to examine the noteworthy measures undertaken by the ECI to bolster the electoral democracy in India in the 21st century.

The 2014 general elections in India marked a new media beginning. It catapulted Narendra Modi onto the national political scene through his clever use of digital media space as a form of public relations. This article uses rhetorical analysis to analyze 1,230 of Modi’s tweets between April 15 and August 15, 2017. I suggest that Modi’s emphasis on social media governance leads to “selfie nationalism,” a clear break from Mohandas Gandhi’s advocacy of “spiritual nationalism.” Modi’s nationalism is based on a belief in right-wing Hinduism, a relentless advocacy for business, his presentation of himself as both a global leader and a commoner who can identify with Indians of all castes and classes, and his silence on minority rights, poverty, free press, judiciary and legislative processes, and India’s plural religious traditions. I conclude that with the rise of Modi’s brand of “selfie nationalism,” coupled with increasing rural-urban polarization, democracy in India is more akin to what O’Donnell refers to as “delegative” rather than representational democracy.

Elections in India generate shifts in alliances at national, regional, and local levels, leading to kaleidoscopic turns in the constellation of political forces. This process of political and social churning, brought about by electoral mobilisation in the 2019 parliamentary elections has been succinctly analyzed in this book This is the leitmotif of the chapters on the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress; political mobilisation in regional arenas such as West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Odisha and Delhi; and the strategic use of electoral opportunities by different sections of the Indian population such as Muslims and women. The process of social churning is accelerated by intensive media coverage. Elections are the cutting edge of competition for power in India. Electoral accountability of the leadership, the norms of entitlement, mass participation, and representation, deeply embedded in the political culture, reinforce democracy in India. Elections turn rebels into stakeholders, and social elites into political leaders. Electoral competition accelerates the fission and fusion of political identities, and legitimise the ‘concept of opposition’, a vital ingredient of democratic form of government. The entire spectrum of the reciprocity of electoral competition and democratic deepening can be seen in the analysis of the 2019 parliamentary elections reinforced the dominance of politics at the Union level by the Hindu nationalist BJP, and simultaneously generated countervailing forces in the regions, which have stymied the power and reach of the Union government.

Voters using their insecure personal devices for casting votes cause a critical but still largely unsolved problem in Internet voting. This chapter addresses this problem by introducing a trusted voting device, which can be used in combination with various cryptographic voting protocols. It's an answer to one of the main assumptions, on which these protocols are based, namely that voters can reliably perform various cryptographic computations. We suggest that all critical cryptographic computations are performed on the voting device, but we restrict its user interface to the simple task of allowing voters to confirm their votes before casting the ballot. The ballots themselves are prepared beforehand on the voter's insecure platform using its rich user interface. To provide privacy even in the presence of strong malware, the voting device receives its information from the voter's insecure platform in form of matrix barcodes. The unidirectionality of such an optical communication channel disallows the insecure platform to learn the voter's actual choice. To verify the correct functioning of the voting device, it can be challenged with test ballots that are indistinguishable from real ones.