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
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 press
Middle: EVM being demonstrated to VIPs
Bottom: 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

Counting
Ballot 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 Lamp
Slide Switch Window
Candidates Button
Candidates Lamp
Ballot Paper Screen
Ballot Unit - Internal parts
Slide Switch
Candidates Button
Masking Tab
Ready Lamp
Control Unit
ON Lamp
Busy Lamp
Display Section
Candidate Set Section
Result Section
Ballot Section
Ballot Button
Total Button
Control Unit - View of Bottom
Compartment
Power Switch
Bottom Compartment
Cover
Connector for
Interconnecting Cable
Connector for
Auxiliary Unit
Control Unit - Display Section
4-Digit
Display Panel
ON Lamp
2-Digit
Display Panel
Busy Lamp
Control Unit - Candidate Set Section
Provision for
thread seal
Latch
Plug for
power pack
Candidate set
button
Candidate set section
inner door
Candidate set section
outer door
Provision for
Thread seal
Power pack
compartment
Control Unit - Result Section
Result I
button
Inner
latches
Frames for
Paper seal
Clear button
Result II
button
Close
button
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.
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 before
the recent elections held in the state of
Jammu & Kashmir
Thank You