Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year, the Election Commission (EC) has received around 22.3 lakh ballot units and 16.3 lakh control units of the latest version of electronic voting machines, M-3.
It is estimated that as many as 22.3 lakh ballot units, 16.3 lakh control units and nearly 17.3 lakh VVPATs or paper trail machines will be used for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The number of machines includes the buffer stock for training as well as replacements. These machines would be deployed at the nearly 10.6 lakh polling stations across India in the next parliamentary elections. The new M3 type EVM will be used in the coming assembly polls in five States.
The Bharat Electronics Ltd and the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd were mandated to deliver these machines to the poll panel by September 30 “and now the delivery has been completed,” the official said. The new ‘M3’-type EVM is “tamper-detect” and will stop functioning if anyone tries to tinker with it. Another feature of this new M3 EVM is self-diagnosis. That is, it can automatically detect any fault with the software or system and will show it in the display. According to officials, the Control Unit and Ballot Unit can communicate with each other. If someone plants a Ballot Unit or Control Unit from outside, the digital signature will not match and the system would stop functioning.
The M2 or mark 2 type EVMs (2006-10) can cater to a maximum of 64 candidates, including NOTA. There is provision for 16 candidates in a balloting unit. If the total number of candidates exceeds 16, more balloting units can be attached up to a maximum of 64 candidates by connecting four balloting units.
However, in case of M3 EVMs, which came after 2013, a maximum of 384 candidates including NOTA can be catered to by connecting 24 balloting units.
During simultaneous elections, two separate sets of EVMs are required, one for the parliamentary constituency and the other for legislative assembly constituency.
In case of an error with the VVPAT, the machine is replaced with a reserve. But in case a ballot unit or control unit malfunctions, the entire set of ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT is replaced.
Till date, EVMs have been used in 113 Assembly elections and three Lok Sabha elections since 2000. Amid demands by some opposition parties to go back to ballot papers, the Commission has maintained that use of EVMs has ended the days of booth capturing and the delays and errors in counting of ballot papers.
At a recent all-party meeting, several parties had questioned the reliability of voting machines, alleging that they could be tampered with. Seventeen opposition parties have come together to make a fresh demand that voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections exercise their franchise by stamping the ballot paper, not pressing the button on EVMs.
