Security of EVMs talking point ahead of counting day

As India gears up for counting of votes for the seven-phase elections to the country's lower house of parliament on Thursday, the 'security' of electronic voting machines has emerged as a crucial issue with opposition parties raising doubts over their credibility. The parties have alleged that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the Lok Sabha polls were being switched with fresh ones ahead of the counting.

The Election Commission (EC), however, has asserted that the EVMs used in the polls are "absolutely safe" in strongrooms, dismissing the allegations. In 1998, EVMs were used in 16 assembly constituencies across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, according to EC website.

The use of EVMs further expanded in 1999 to 46 Lok Sabha seats, and later, in February 2000, such machines were used in 45 seats in Haryana assembly polls. In 2001, the state assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal were completely conducted using EVMs.

All state assembly elections thereafter witnessed the use of the electronic voting machines. In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, the EVMs were used in all 543 seats.

During the production of EVMs in a factory, functional testing is carried out by a production group as per the laid down quality plan and performance test procedures. Samples of EVMs from production batches are regularly checked for functionality by Quality Assurance Group, which is an independent unit within the PSUs -- Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

Post supply to the Election Commission, the EVMs are kept, transported and used under strict administrative and secure conditions. When used for elections, the machines are operated and kept in full view of stakeholders and media scrutiny.

Before an election, EVMs are stored in warehouses and treasuries at district headquarters. The rooms where these machines are stored have double locks, CCTV camera coverage and are guarded by armed policemen.

Without EC's permission, the machines cannot be removed from the warehouses. Ahead of elections, the machines are allocated on a random basis to assembly segments in a Lok Sabha seat using a software. It is done in the presence of party representatives.

The returning officer then takes over and stores the EVMs in strongrooms. After the end of polling till the counting day, the machines are stored again in warehouses. Candidates are also allowed to put their seal on the strongroom lock.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)