INDIA bloc wants ballot papers back: Why and how the country moved to VVPATs, EVMs

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The INDIA bloc on Tuesday marched from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raising allegations over the electoral process.

The Opposition MPs carried “Save Democracy” banners and raised slogans against Kumar.

The protest comes amid a political row over the SIR exercise and allegations of unauthorised changes to voter enrolment forms. Among the Opposition’s demands is a return to ballot-paper voting, replacing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

What is a ballot paper?

A ballot paper is a printed sheet listing the candidates contesting an election, along with their serial numbers and election symbols. Under the traditional system, a voter marks the ballot paper against the candidate of their choice, folds it and puts it into a ballot box. The votes are subsequently taken out and counted manually.

This was the system India used when it held its first general election in 1951-52.

However, later, the EC said the paper-ballot system had several challenges, including invalid votes caused by improper marking or ink smudging, the possibility of ballot-box stuffing and the use of pre-marked ballot papers. Manual counting also takes considerably longer than electronic counting.

Why did India consider EVMs?

As the size of India’s electorate increased, the EC began exploring whether technology could make voting and counting more efficient. The idea of electronic voting machines emerged in the late 1970s. The first experimental use of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) took place in the Paravur Assembly constituency in Kerala in 1982.

However, EVMs could not simply replace ballot papers nationwide without a legal framework. Parliament amended the Representation of the People Act, 1951, by inserting Section 61A, which empowered the Election Commission to use voting machines.

EVMs were subsequently introduced gradually in elections across the country.

How did EVMs replace ballot papers?

An EVM essentially consists of a Ballot Unit and a Control Unit. The Ballot Unit is placed inside the voting compartment, while the Control Unit remains with the presiding officer.

Instead of receiving a paper ballot, the voter is enabled to cast the vote electronically after the polling official releases the ballot through the Control Unit. The voter then presses the button corresponding to their chosen candidate on the Ballot Unit.

The electronic system records the vote, eliminating the need to manually mark, fold and deposit a ballot paper.

The transition was gradual, with EVMs initially being used in selected constituencies before being expanded across the country. By the 2004 Lok Sabha election, EVMs were used nationwide.

However, the shift to EVMs also created a new question: how could a voter independently verify that the electronic machine had recorded the vote correctly?

Enter VVPAT

This question led to the development of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

A VVPAT is connected to the EVM and produces a paper slip when a voter casts a vote. The slip contains the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate selected by the voter.

The slip is briefly visible through a transparent window, allowing the voter to verify that the vote has been recorded for the intended candidate. It then automatically falls into a sealed compartment inside the VVPAT unit.

The system was introduced as an additional mechanism to allow voters to verify their electronic vote through a physical paper trail.

The VVPAT was first used in an election in the 2013 Nagaland Assembly bypoll. Its use was subsequently expanded, and VVPATs were deployed at all polling stations in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

What is the current system in India?

India’s current system effectively combines the two. The vote is cast and recorded electronically through the EVM, while the VVPAT generates a corresponding paper record. The voter can see the slip, but it remains inside the sealed VVPAT unit rather than being handed to the voter.

According to the EC, VVPAT slips can subsequently be used to verify the electronic count in cases covered by the prescribed procedure. Following Supreme Court directions, VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations in each Assembly constituency or Assembly segment are mandatorily verified before the result is declared.

Why is ballot paper debate back?

The political debate over EVMs has continued even after the introduction of VVPATs. Opposition parties have repeatedly questioned the transparency and verifiability of electronic voting and have, at different points, demanded a return to paper ballots.

The EC, meanwhile, has consistently defended EVMs, pointing to their standalone design, procedural safeguards, mock polls, sealing and randomisation processes, as well as the VVPAT paper trail.

The Supreme Court in April 2024 rejected pleas seeking a return to ballot papers and 100% verification of VVPAT slips, while issuing directions on the preservation and verification of EVM-related data.

The INDIA bloc has revived its demand for a return to paper ballots amid its wider confrontation with the EC over the SIR of electoral rolls. At its September 30 meeting, Opposition parties said they had unanimously agreed that elections should be conducted using paper ballots instead of EVMs.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge recently called for the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies, alleging that elections were conducted illegally and demanding fresh polls through ballot papers.