Introduction to the Topic - EVM
Know the Full-Form of EVM and How it is Used to Register Voters in a Democracy.
EVM stands for Electronic Voting Machines that have gained widespread recognition replacing the traditional ballot paper system. In a democracy, it is considered a fundamental right for every citizen to exercise their voting right.
Understand the EVM full form in English and learn how these units have emerged as a faster way to count and register your votes. Considering the enormous size of the population in India, it is safe to say that EVMs are the best thing to avoid any malpractice during the elections.
Origin of EVM
The first-ever mechanical voting machine was patented in the New York election in 1889. Over the years, the system gained widespread acceptance, and the EVM acronym made more sense to people. It gained a foothold and was further modified.
Votomatic punched cards with holes were introduced in the California elections of 1965. It was a modern and faster communication system that registered the voter's name with ease. The EVM machine has replaced traditional ballot paper models in most of India, and its popularity is proof of it.
The Design of Electronic Voting Machines
The EVMs are designed in complete secrecy by only a few engineers. Currently, in India, EVMs can exclusively be manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited. The Electronic Voting Machines (EVM full form in English) are designed using dual control units that are attached by a 5-meter long cable. The machine is designed to lock itself whenever a voter presses a switch against a candidate’s name.
The front side of the machine consists of the name of the contesting candidates with their party symbols. One colored button is assigned to each party with numbers. The numbers are listed, and voters can exercise their franchise by pressing one button. Though the EVM acronym is popular among voters, most of them do not know the full form.
The EVM runs on normal battery power and registers a maximum of 2000 votes. In the event, that the EVM stops working, the votes are kept safe in the chip. It is prohibited to change the paper roll at the polling stations.
Few Advantages of EVM
These are some benefits of using EVM:
This machine reduces the possibility of fake votes to a great extent.
The use of EVM leads to the reduction of paper wastage.
EVM machines can be easily assembled and dismantled. This makes for more comfortable transportation and saves on cost.
The machines run on batteries so can be used in areas without electricity.
Conclusion
EVM is an excellent solution in a country like India, with huge demography. It reaches remote areas, reduces costs, and eliminates fake votes. So, this is an excellent solution for democracy and protecting our republic.
Other Allied Concepts:
FAQs on EVM Full Form
Which State First Used VVPAT in India?
The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is generally an independent printer system which is attached with an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). It enables the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended. VVPAT provides feedback to the people who have cast a vote. It is an independent autonomous verification system that personally tells every voter about his/her vote and is also used to verify the votes in future. It tells the voter about whom he has cast the vote and also the party symbol. So this machine can be used to detect the fraud and fake votes that might be cast in an election. It ensures accuracy in the elections by improving its transparency and also takes less time to count the votes compared to the ballot papers.
VVPAT was first used in September 2013 in Noksen, Nagaland. It was then used on a large scale in the Mizoram assembly election in 2013 on the full range.
Who is the Current Election Commissioner of India?
The current and 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India is Mr Sunil Arora, and two other commissioners are Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra. The chief election commissioner heads the election commission of India which conducts elections for the parliament, assembly and for the presidential, vice-presidential elections. Part 15 in our constitution, has provisions to establish such a commission to conduct elections hence, such a commission was established on January 26, 1950. Article 324 to 329 deals with various features related to this commission. The commission has one chief election commissioner and two election commissioners to administer it and are appointed by the president of India. They enjoy all the perks and salaries available to the chief justice of India and are also equal to his status. Generally, IAS officers with higher experience are appointed by the President of India as election commissioners and the chief election commissioner. They can be removed by passing a bill in the parliament for their proven incapacity or misbehavior.
When were the EVM Machines first introduced in India?
The term EVM is an abbreviation for electronic voting machine. They have been manufactured by ECI and BEL since the early '90s. These were first introduced in the Indian General Election in the year 1998. Gradually it was rolled out in a phased manner until 2001. Since then, it has continued to gain widespread acceptance.
What are the advantages of using EVMs?
EVM stands for electronic voting machines and is used as an alternative option to ballot papers in conducting elections. Following are the advantages of using EVMs:
10,000 tonnes equal to 2 lakh trees are saved by replacing ballot papers with EVMs in a national election in India.
16 candidates can be placed n a single ballot unit and 4 such ballot units can be replaced with one EVM.
The cost of EVM is comparatively lesser than the amount incurred on ballot papers: making, transportation, storage and labour to carry these ballot papers.
EVMs are highly mobile and hence, they can be used to conduct elections even in the remotest places.
It is easier to count the votes cast through EVM than the votes cast on the ballot papers. So, the election results can also be announced soon if we replace ballot papers with the EVM.
Through the EVMs, a person can cast only one vote and also the votes are stored in the memory of the EVMs, so the probability of fake votes is comparatively less.
EVMs run throughout the year and can be reused, so the cost to conduct elections is lesser when we use EVMs.
How are elections conducted in India?
Indian elections are majorly conducted at three levels, central, state and local levels. At the central level, elections are conducted to elect the members of parliament to the Lok Sabha and the Rajya sabha. The whole country is divided into 543 constituencies for the Lok Sabha election and one candidate from every constituency is elected as a member of parliament. Similar elections held at the state level are called assembly elections but every state has a different number of constituencies unlike the Lok Sabha elections and the representatives elected in these elections are called members of the legislative assembly. Panchayat and municipal elections are held at the rural level or the local level to elect the panchayat president and the head for the municipal corporation, in these elections, every village and city is divided into wards and every ward elects one member to the panchayat and municipal corporation. The strongest principle of our election system is universal adult franchise given to everybody who is a citizen of India and above 18 years. Every vote is equal and the same irrespective of caste, sex, race, religion and creed. An electoral roll is prepared before the election and distributed to eligible candidates to ensure that every person eligible to vote is counted and given a chance, it can also be used for inspection and correction. Everyone votes for their name on the election day and all the votes have equal value. Once every five years, a complete revision of the voter’s list is updated.
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