Transcript Electronic voting Machine

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-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 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
Candidate’s Button
Candidate’s Lamp
Ballot Paper Screen
Ballot Unit - Internal parts
Ready Lamp
Slide Switch
Candidate’s 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