Election Commission of India

A State-of-the-Art, User Friendly

and 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--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 despatch
Bottom: 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 station
Bottom: 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
Voting the Ballot box way

Voting the EVM way

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

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 press
Middle: EVM being demonstrated to VIPs
Bottom: Address to the press on EVMs

Remedies

All mechanical, electrical and

software security features are
Counting
provided to ensure the integrity
Ballot paper way
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 nonvolatile dual redundant memory
chips and can be retained for
over 6 months even when the
power pack is removed

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

Sub-Units of EVM
Interconnecting Cable

Control Unit

Ballot Unit

Ballot Unit - Details

Ready Lamp
Slide Switch Window
Candidates Button

Candidates Lamp

Ballot Paper Screen

Ballot Unit - Internal parts

Ready Lamp

Slide Switch
Candidates Button

Masking Tab

Control Unit

ON Lamp
Display Section

Busy Lamp
Candidate Set Section
Result Section

Ballot Section
Ballot Button
Total Button

Control Unit - View of Bottom

Compartment

Power Switch
Connector for
Interconnecting Cable
Bottom Compartment
Cover

Connector for
Auxiliary Unit

Control Unit - Display Section

4-Digit
Display Panel
ON Lamp

Busy Lamp

2-Digit
Display Panel

Control Unit - Candidate Set Section

Candidate set section
inner door

Candidate set section

outer door

Provision for
thread seal
Latch

Power pack
compartment

Candidate set
button
Plug for
power pack

Provision for
Thread seal

Control Unit - Result Section

Result I
button

Clear button

Close
button

Result II
button

Inner
latches

Frames for
Paper seal

Control Unit - Ballot Section

Total button
Ballot 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.

SEQUENCE OF OPERATION OF BUTTONS

ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE
CLEAR

RESULT-1

CLOSE

CAND. SET

BALLOT

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 manpower
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 before
the recent elections held in the state of
Jammu & Kashmir

Thank You