Counting in the time of EVMs

MANDATE 2004

The introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) has not eliminated the human element from counting of votes, as the final tabulating of data from each EVM is done manually and not electronically.

On the day of counting, the control units of EVMs are taken to the counting tables and on the pressing of result button, machines will show the total number of votes polled and the votes recorded against each candidate.

The electronic process of counting ends here. In the next stage, the manual process takes over when the returning officer in each counting centre will enter the result on each machine on a specified form, which will be checked and signed by the agents of each candidate.

Once all the machines are counted, votes are tabulated manually for the final result.

Unlike the manual voting process, where ballot papers are mixed to avoid tracing of votes, EVMs are not mixed. Thus, votes polled by each candidate in each polling station can be counted and traced.

There are about 1,200 counting centres across the country and each counting station will have 15 counting tables.

The biggest advantage of EVMs is that they have drastically cut down counting time and made declaration of results a smooth affair.

Each machine costs Rs 5,500 and has two parts, a control unit that remains with the presiding officer and the balloting unit that is in the voting compartment.

Once the presiding officer switches on the machine by pressing a button located on his unit, the voter records his vote by pressing a red button against a candidate's name. As soon as the vote is recorded the system locks in and no amount of tampering can alter this record.

The machines, manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronic Corporation of India, run on 6 volt batteries.

The chips are imported from the US and can store data in their memory for 10 years.