The Issue of E.V.M.

Abstract

Electronic Voting Machine is a combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment that is used to define ballots; to cast and count votes; to report or display election results. The different types of voting machines allow for various kinds of interaction, such as using a touch screen technology, using a dial wheel, touching a paper panel, or pressing a button on an LCD screen. The paper presents an overview of shift from traditional system of voting to electronic voting machine. It discusses about different types of voting machines, their potentials effects, and the issues related to EVMs. Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) possess all the characteristics of voting by ballot papers, while making polling a lot more expedient. Being fast and absolutely definitive, the EVM saves considerable time, money and manpower. And, of course, helps maintain total voting secrecy without the use of ballot papers. The study will aim to answer the question: Whether EVMs meet the legal requirements set out in the Information Technology Act, 2000. It will also deal with that, whether Election Commission of India (ECI) has become Partisan in its defense of EVMs. In spite of the machines simplicity and minimal software trusted computing base, they are prone to serious attacks that can alter results of elections and violate the secrecy of the ballot. Furthermore, case laws related to it and need for further development. The challenges faced are: Accessibility, Age and Technical Experience, biasness, accountability and verifiability, loss of transparency.