Foreign electoral representatives, MPs witness Indian election process, use of EVMs

Electoral representatives and lawmakers from over 18 countries witnessed the complex Indian election process in action and the use of the Electronic Voting Machines in the national capital on Sunday, officials said.

E A Shevchenko, a member of the central Election Commission of Russia, said he visited 12 polling stations in Delhi and spoke to election observers.

He said it was interesting to know about EVMs.

"We saw the new machines and we liked what we saw. We visited north and south Delhi constituencies and it was interesting to know about EVMs and learn that one gets to know that their vote has been registered," he said.

He said Russia has machines which take passport as the ID document and is based on biometrics. He said those machines are similar to EVMs.

"In Russia, only the passport serves as the ID. Voters can vote from any part of the country and do not have to be in the city where they live. During the last presidential polls, over six million people voted from cities other than their hometowns " he said.

The official said in Russia, elections take place on a single day, not in phases.

Officials from Myanmar, Bhutan Cambodia, Russia, Bosnia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and others comprised the foreign delegation.

"Foreign delegations visit during Lok Sabha polls and Vidhan Sabha polls to study the electoral process. This time, members of over 18 countries are here," an official from Delhi's Chief Electoral Office said.