The Fault in our EVMs

Election Commission of India is an autonomus constitutional authority which holds the responsibility of elections in the country. This body administers elections of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state legislative assemblies as well as the offices of the President and the Vice President.

One of the most important and required factors to run a democracy include holding free and fair elections. It lays down the guidelines for the conduct of the candidates participating in the elections and the political parties. EC is hailed as the guardian of elections in India.

Over the years, reports of various wrongdoings and misconduct have increased. There have been reports of over 22 lakh names being deleted from the voter list, CCTV camera not working for over an hour at a polling booth, people cast vote to some party but the vote gets casted to another party and a lot more.

We look at the various cases EC has failed to take care of, which should have been addressed immediately and where proper action should’ve been taken, making us question the so-called democratic elections.

We also take a look at some rumors making the rounds every once in a while trying to tarnish the image of Election Commission of India.

1.Candidates got zero votes

Some candidates have reported they have got zero votes. ZERO Votes.

Their own vote even didn’t get registered. There have been claims of such miscounting and have been proved to be false.

BMC poll candidate’s claim of getting ‘zero votes’ turns out false. #NLshorts https://t.co/CbVseHpPAV pic.twitter.com/kAgy6wX79V

— newslaundry (@newslaundry) May 12, 2017

Shabana who contested UP Civic Polls from Saharanpur claimed Zero Vote & blamed EVMs. But she gets 87 votes. How this is Possible? As @Shehla_Rashid said Muslims don’t lie. pic.twitter.com/BF7ZTbuTYD

— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) December 3, 2017

So the EVM votes. But does it cast the vote to the person you have voted to?

2. EVM machines at unusual places

There have been many reports of EVM machines being found at places they shouldn’t be at.

#Chhattisgarh: Three persons, who claimed to be employees of #RelianceJio, were detained by police from a strongroom at Women’s Polytechnic College in Dharampura Jagdalpur. They were nabbed by Congress activists. #chhattisgarhassemblyelections2018 https://t.co/aT3c9bPAD1

— National Herald (@NH_India) December 7, 2018

EC defends this by saying they were checking “mobile signals”.

EVM ballot unit found on Rajasthan highway, fans tampering worries https://t.co/VWPS6Bxpbm

(Representational Image) pic.twitter.com/wY8Q9hEajA

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 9, 2018

Officials later clarified that this was a spare unit and not an actual unit. Two officers have been suspended for negligence.

Rajasthan: EC orders removal of Pali returning officer after EVM reportedly found at BJP candidate’s house https://t.co/JnTgtEBnME

— DNA (@dna) December 8, 2018

EC ordered the removal of the returning officer involved after the incident was reported.

Gujarat poll officials ‘forget’ EVM in jeep, driver brings it back https://t.co/ynH3Fw1j0e#GujaratElection2017 #AssemblyElections2017 pic.twitter.com/8DQmQKdCgL

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 10, 2017

How can you “forget” something which decides the future of the country? Really makes one question how much negligence is there.

#BREAKING Amid allegations of EVM tampering, 8 VVPAT machines seized in Vijayapura, machines found from labourers house, Bengaluru cops registers case @dpkBopanna shares more details pic.twitter.com/onmdinUJcf

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) May 20, 2018

How do these machines keep losing their way?

30 EVMs were found at a home in Andhra. 30 EVMS. Remember, from the physical examination of the machine at the first stage to storing them in the secure storing center, they are heavily guarded 24×7. So how do they keep getting OUT?

3. EVM Tampering

There have been numerous reports of votes being registered to the wrong candidate.

EVM in Madhya Pradesh votes just for BJP, says opposition seeking probe

Read more: https://t.co/0mNQB1R6Vy pic.twitter.com/3VdizqbM5M

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2017

#ndtv9 | Fresh allegations of #EVM malfunction fraud in Uttar Pradeshhttps://t.co/Jth3Rf4K6T

— NDTV (@ndtv) November 23, 2017

Furore in Meerut after voter presses BSP on EVM, vote goes to BJP https://t.co/YmniMNNWp3 via @TOICitiesNews

— Surat Ramasamy (@SuratRamasamy) July 16, 2018

Brijesh Kalappa: EVM in Bengaluru only registering votes for Lotus – Economic Times https://t.co/wqkO90CRAq #Bengaluru

— #Bengaluru ツ (@hashBengaluru) May 14, 2018

This “EVM fraud” happened during Feb16 elections to Buldhana Zilla Parishad from Lonar, at a polling station in Sultanpur village https://t.co/BybMMpytyv

— Milind Moghe (@MogheMilind) July 22, 2017

#BREAKING | Voting stopped in a polling booth in Hebbal, #Bengaluru after complaints about EVM malfunction; votes went to a particular party irrespective of button voters pressed. EC to take a call on replacing EVMs or ordering re-polling in the booth. https://t.co/OSQkFwLZd1 pic.twitter.com/BjEFTS5e76

— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) May 12, 2018

Fixed EVM : In Jorhat, Assam, every time button was pressed,the vote went in favour of BJP. http://t.co/jLkQVeLkAk #BJPRiggedEVM #WillECAct?

— R G P (@RamchandaniGP) April 3, 2014

These news are just a tip of an iceberg to get you an idea of how much possibility is there of elections getting ‘rigged’.

4. The DU Elections 2018

In the latest DU Elections, it came to light that the EVMs used were not provided or authorized by the EC.

From where can u procure EVMs privately? Doesn’t ECI claim that no one can manufacture or buy or sell EVMs privately? Isn’t anyone found in possession of EVMs without EC’s permission guilty of criminal offence? pic.twitter.com/f0BION58w0

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 14, 2018

It lead to some interesting results :-

(It translates to – 8 candidates, 9^th button NOTA, but still EVM’s 10^th button got 40 votes)

Once again, EC does not take any blame.

5. EVMs on sale

It was discovered that EVMs are also being manufactured by some private company.

See this. EVM in market actually exists. Is the ECI interested? pic.twitter.com/O5GQtiQ0HU

— spacebar (@ksagga) September 13, 2018

EC has put in new measures but they don’t seem effective seeing the above scenarios.

New EVM will stop working if tampered with https://t.co/CMgwXrk6R1 pic.twitter.com/lkXUFqrt2a

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 3, 2017

The EVM also goes through a 10-step process to secure these machines. At every step these are guarded 24×7 under heavy security.

VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trial), also known as Verifiable Paper Record was introduced by EC which provides feedback to the users using a ballot-less voting system.

It is not perfect as well :-

Drama after mismatch in vote counts in EVM and VVPAT in Hubli-Dharwad-Central, EC finally declares BJP’s Jagdish Shettar winner https://t.co/V1rzkVI5nE

— Janta Ka Reporter (@JantaKaReporter) May 16, 2018

EC never acknowledges the fact that EVMs could be at fault. They think EVMs are mankind’s most perfect invention and keep on defending it without taking into notice the fact that these machines need to be tested better before they are put out for official use.

On Nov 22, Supreme Court dismissed a PIL seeking direction to the Election Commission of India to hold 2019 Elections with ballot system instead of EVMs.

Supreme Court today rejected a PIL seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold 2019 General Election and state assembly polls with ballot system or papers instead of EVM (Electronic Voting Machines).

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2018

If the Election Commission could actually work on improving and making EVMs a secure method to vote instead of always defending themselves and not admitting the fault in the EVMs, then that would be really great and a huge win for the common man. With the 2019 elections coming, let’s hope the EVMs are as perfect as EC claims them to be.