Election Commission of India

A State-of-the-Art, User Friendlyand Tamper Proof

Electronic Voting Machine(EVM)

Presentation

• The Genesis– Concept, Challenge, Solution

• Concerns• Remedies• EVM

– Technological Features– Description– Operation

• Polling, Closing, Counting & Results

• Advantages• Statistics of Interest

Genesis - Concept

• Idea mooted by the Chief Election Commissioner in 1977

• Pros and cons of E-voting vis-à-vis ballot paper analysed by High Power Committees

• Recommended E-voting to save avoidable and recurring expenditure on printing, storage, transportation and security of Ballot Paper to the exchequer

Top: Ballot paper awaiting despatchBottom: EVMs in store room

Genesis - Challenge

• Evolve a machine which would fit into the existing Election Procedure

• Appear familiar to the voter• Addressing the skepticism of

the Political Parties and Intelligentsia including Press

• Evolving a machine and a procedure which would be transparent and acceptable to all

Top: Ballot box being carried to the polling stationBottom: EVMs being carried to the polling station

Genesis - Solution

• Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) a leading Public Sector Company engaged in the design and manufacture of professional electronics was commissioned to design a machine to prove the feasibility

• Once feasibility was established, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) a second Public Sector Company was co-opted into the exercise

Voters waiting to cast their vote

Genesis - Solution

• Both the companies (ECIL & BEL) brought out models with a common User Interface in 1980

• The machines were extensively tried out at locations across the country

• Publicity campaigns were run in the press and other media

• Seminars conducted by Election Commission of India in various forums

• Feedback obtained used to fine-tune the machine

Voting the Ballot box way

Voting the EVM way

Concerns

• How secure is the data ?• Can the data be tampered

with ?• How does the machine

operate in remote areas without electric power ?

• What happens if the power fails in the middle of the voting process ?

• Can the data be stored long enough to be used as evidence in a court of law in case of electoral disputes ?

Top: EVM being demonstrated to the pressMiddle: EVM being demonstrated to VIPsBottom: Address to the press on EVMs

Remedies• All mechanical, electrical and

software security features are provided to ensure the integrity of the voting data

• It is independent of mains power and operates on a special power pack

• It is tamper-proof and error free• It incorporates a microprocessor

that has ‘burnt-in’ software code which cannot be altered or retrieved

• All the data is recorded on non-volatile dual redundant memory chips and can be retained for over 6 months even when the power pack is removed

CountingBallot paper way

Counting - EVM way

EVM – Technology Features• Centres around state-of-the-art microprocessor with

built-in PROM storing the software code which cannot be retrieved or altered

• Reliable, robust and error free software• Legacy software with machine codes used to preserve

integrity and security• Double redundant resilient memory storage for securely

retaining data without a need for a backup battery• User friendly operation sequence• Portable and easy to operate• Custom made to fit into the existing pattern

EVM – Technology Features

• Provision is made on all the sub-units for sealing to ensure that the units are not tampered with

• Each EVM can cater to a maximum of 64 candidates with 4 Ballot Units cascaded

• The EVM can be used for conducting “TWO” simultaneous polls.

• EVMs to conduct up to “FOUR” or “MORE” simultaneous polls to suit the electoral systems of other countries are developed and demonstration models available

Control Unit

Interconnecting Cable

Ballot Unit

Sub-Units of EVM

Ballot Unit - Details

Ready LampSlide Switch WindowCandidate’s Button

Candidate’s Lamp

Ballot Paper Screen

Ballot Unit - Internal parts

Slide Switch

Candidate’s Button

Masking Tab

Ready Lamp

Control Unit

ON Lamp Busy Lamp

Display Section Candidate Set Section

Result Section

Ballot SectionBallot Button

Total Button

Control Unit - View of Bottom Compartment

Power Switch

Bottom CompartmentCover

Connector forInterconnecting Cable

Connector for Auxiliary Unit

Control Unit - Display Section

4-DigitDisplay Panel

ON Lamp

2-Digit Display Panel

Busy Lamp

Control Unit - Candidate Set Section

Provision forthread seal

Latch

Plug forpower pack

Candidate setbutton

Candidate set sectioninner door

Candidate set sectionouter door

Provision forThread seal

Power packcompartment

Control Unit - Result SectionResult Ibutton

Inner latches

Frames forPaper seal

Clear button

Result II button

Close button

Control Unit - Ballot Section

Total buttonBallot button

Polling

• The voter is identified from the voters list and records his presence by a signature or thumb impression

• The Presiding Officer presses the “Ballot” button on the Control Unit permitting one vote

• The voter then proceeds to the polling cubicle and after perusing the ballot paper on the Ballot Unit, presses the key against the candidate of his choice

Polling

• A red lamp glows indicating to the voter that his vote has been cast in favour of that candidate

• The casting of the vote results in a beep in the Control Unit indicating to the Presiding Officer that a vote has been cast

• He then proceeds to release another vote by pressing the “Ballot” button and the process continues

Closing

• The cap on the “Close Button” is removed and the button pressed

• The cap is then replaced

• The unit is then switched “Off” and the interconnecting cable disconnected

Counting & Results

• The Power pack / Battery is checked for health by pressing the TOTAL Button

• After getting ready to note down the result, the green paper seal over RESULT-1 Button is pierced and RESULT-1 Button is pressed.

Counting & Results• The “RESULT-1” button is pressed to display the

results• The results are then noted.

CAND. SET

CLEAR

BALLOT

RESULT-1

SEQUENCE OF OPERATION OF BUTTONS ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE

CLOSE

Advantages• Modernises the election process • User friendly – can be used even by illiterates • Simple to operate and can be installed in a short time• Preserves voting secrecy• No scope for invalid votes• Facilitates quick and accurate counting – possible to

declare results instantaneously• Re-usable by simply erasing votes recorded in earlier

poll

Advantages

• Huge expenditure involved in printing, storing and transportation and security of ballot paper can be avoided

• Lowers operating costs• Easier to manage with less demand on man-

power• Provision can be made to connect to a

“CENTRAL STATION” to consolidate and display / record the results countrywide

Statistics of Interest

• Around one million machines deployed during Lok Sabha, 2004 polls

• Low failure rate• Costs around US $ 300 • Estimated saving on the

switchover to EVM is Approx US $ 40 million

• Political Parties and Intelligentsia who initially were skeptical now endorse the machine for its veracity

EVM being demonstrated to voters beforethe recent elections held in the state of

Jammu & Kashmir

Thank You