A Futile Debate

India saved about 10,000 tonnes of paper ballots in a national election, helping protect lakhs of trees

- ANOUSHKA RANDEVA

Donald Trump's recent advocacy for paper ballots in US elections has reignited debates about the security and integrity of electronic voting systems worldwide. Trump, joined by tech mogul Elon Musk, has underscored the dangers of electronic voting systems, citing a lack of trust in machines. Musk has argued that "computers are not meant for voting".

While these calls have resonated with certain sections of the population, especially those concerned about election security, we must explore if such a system would work in a massive country like India, or if EVMs remain a better choice.

EVMs in India
India's first use of EVMs dates back to 1982, but they were officially introduced nationwide in 2004. Since then, EVMs have revolutionized elections by providing speed, accuracy, and reduced human error in the counting process. Currently there are nearly 31.03 lakh ballot units (BU) and 22.15 control units (CU) available in the country.

EVMs offer several technological advantages. They are designed with tamper-resistant features like microcontroller-based cryptographic security, preventing unauthorized access. Each machine is isolated from the internet, making it impervious to remote hacking. The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) use a one-time programmable (OTP) chip that ensures only authorized devices can interact with them.