Page 161 - General Election

60. FAQs on EVM and VVPAT

1. In what way is the functioning of EVMs better than the conventional system
of voting through paper ballots? Is any technical knowledge required for
casting of vote through EVM?

In the Paper Ballot system, a printed ballot paper displays the list of candidates with

their serial numbers, names, and symbols. Each candidate has a designated space
where voters can mark their choice. After marking, the voter folds the ballot paper
in a specific manner and deposits it into a Ballot Box. During vote counting, only

correctly marked votes are considered.

However, the Paper Ballot system faces various issues, including the invalidation of
votes due to improper marking or ink smudging, susceptibility to ballot box stuffing
with spurious votes, voting with pre-marked ballot papers, and the manual counting

process being prone to errors and manipulation, taking days to complete.

In the ECI-EVM system, the Control Unit is located with the Presiding Officer, while
the Ballot Unit(s) and VVPAT are placed inside the Voting Compartment. Instead of

issuing a physical ballot paper, the Polling Officer releases an electronic Ballot by
pressing the "Ballot Button" on the Control Unit. Voters cast their votes by pressing
the "blue button" on the Ballot Unit for their chosen candidate. A red LED indicates
the chosen candidate, and a paper slip with candidate details is generated and

visible through a transparent window of the VVPAT for 7 seconds.

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