Is ballot paper safe for elections

By: Ashwani Mahajan

A few days ago, President Donald Trump raised concerns about the safety of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating that ballot paper is the safest mode for elections. He also mentioned that even tech expert Elon Musk has expressed doubts about the security of computers for voting purposes.

Following Trump’s statement, opposition parties in India have been causing a stir, claiming that EVMs are unsafe for elections. These parties are supporting President Trump’s stance on the use of ballot paper for elections. Various opposition leaders, including those from the Congress party, have already accused EVMs of creating suspicions and undermining the integrity of elections. They argue that Trump’s statement only fuels the controversy surrounding EVMs.
Every time there are elections in India, the EVM system faces criticism, especially when the opposing parties lose. The blame is often placed on the EVMs for alleged discrepancies in the voting process. There have been several instances where major opposition parties, after losing elections, have blamed the EVMs for their defeat. However, the Election Commission of India has consistently denied these claims, asserting that there is no chance of discrepancies in the EVM system.

The EVM system was introduced in India in 1999 for some assembly elections, and by 2004, it was fully implemented in Lok Sabha elections. Despite this, similar allegations surfaced in 2009 from the BJP. Over the years, 31 countries around the world adopted EVMs, but many later reverted to paper ballots after complaints about the system’s reliability.

Rather than merely criticizing the system, it is important to propose constructive suggestions to improve it.

In 2023, Digvijaya Singh, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, questioned the accuracy of EVMs and suggested discontinuing their use. He proposed a system where a chit (slip) produced by the EVM should be given to the voter and placed in a separate box. During the counting process, the chits from ten boxes would be tallied alongside the EVM counts. If both the chits and EVM results match, then the election results should be declared accordingly.
According to Singh, this approach would reassure voters and ensure fairness. He emphasized that the Election Commission is a constitutional body and must be impartial in conducting elections. If the Election Commission were to adopt and implement this suggestion, it would send a strong message to the public about the transparency and fairness of the election process.

Now, with President Trump raising questions about the use of EVMs and advocating for ballot paper elections, it is crucial for all political parties in India to take this matter seriously. They should approach the Election Commission to discuss the pros and cons of the ballot paper system as an alternative to EVMs.