CELEBRATING

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PRIDE OF
INDIAN
Years EVM
of
ELECTIONS

September, 2023
 The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical
thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms.
It requires change of heart.
Mahatma Gandhi
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CELEBRATING

PRIDE OF
INDIAN
ELECTIONS
of
Years EVM
 First Edition 2023 (Saka 1944)

Celebrating 40 Years of EVM

Pride of Indian Elections

©Election Commission of India

Author : B.C. Patra, Secretary

Envisioned & Collated by : EVM Division, ECI

Concept & designed by : Mode Advertising & Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

Published by
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Election Commission of India

Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road,
New Delhi-110001

www.eci.gov.in

ISBN: 978-81-954228-3-8

Printed by :

Principal Director General

Central Bureau of Communication

At - JK Offset Graphics Pvt. Ltd

B-278, Okhla Industrial Area Phase 1,
New Delhi- 110020

©Election Commission of India The photographs and illustrations available in this publication can be utilised with due
acknowledgment to the Election Commission of India."

Disclaimer: The facts presented in this publication are purely for awareness and educational purposes only. While every effort
has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented in this book, readers are encouraged to refer
to the Commission website and the latest Instructions, in case of any inadvertent mistake or divergence.
 MESSAGE
Chief Election Commissioner of India

It gives me immense pleasure to present the commemorative publication ‘Celebrating 40 years of EVM’ to the readers. ECI
constantly endeavours to make all the processes related to the EVM ecosystem fully transparent and has already placed
resources like FAQs on EVM, Presentation on EVM/VVPAT, Manual on EVM and VVPAT, Status Paper and Legal History of
EVMs in public domain in its website to enlighten and educate the citizens at large about the EVM ecosystem. Adding to the
repository of EVM resources, this publication endeavours to highlight landmark events in the four-decade history of Indian
EVMs while chronicling the rich legacy of the use of EVMs in our elections through engaging photographs and illustrations.
Indian Electronic Voting Machine had a humble beginning in the year 1982 when it was introduced on a pilot basis in 50
polling stations in Parur Assembly constituency, Kerala. But over the years, with its technical security, various administrative
safeguards and participation of stakeholders, Indian EVMs have become synonymous with the Indian elections. During the
Lok Sabha elections of 2019, EVMs were deployed in about 10.36 lakh polling stations and 61.08 crores votes were cast in
EVMs. This is nothing short of a wonder!
However, the design, development, deployment and overall acceptance of EVMs were not a smooth ride. Over the years,
the credibility of our voting machines has been questioned in various legal fora including the Hon'ble Supreme Court. But our
voting machines have emerged successful and stronger after every such judicial scrutiny. At this juncture I would like to recall
that the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka had held our EVMs as 'National pride'. Further, the Hon’ble Courts have started
imposing costs on PILs that seek to stop the use of EVMs based on aspersions and allegations. It is not out of place to
mention that since the introduction of 100% EVM usage in elections from 2004, there have been 44 transitions in the political
parties getting maximum seats in State Assemblies and one such at National level. This only proves that EVMs reflect the true
mandate of the voters.
An exclusive Technical Expert Committee (TEC) consisting of eminent members from various institutes of excellence
constantly monitors the designing aspect of EVMs. The EVMs are manufactured by two PSUs viz. BEL and ECIL, functioning
under Ministry of Defence and Department of Atomic Energy, respectively. The manufacturing is done under extreme security
and adhering to various secure manufacturing practices. I'm happy to note that this publication also has pictures of the
manufacturing facilities.
As in general, more than 10 million personnel, including security forces, handles EVMs during General election to Lok
Sabha. Any rare mishandling of EVMs is purely due to human errors and not due to any technical reason connected with the
EVM. I am glad this publication carries some pictures showing harsh conditions in which machines are deployed. I salute
every member of such polling parties for making our democracy truly vibrant and deeper.
I am sure this publication would definitely engage the readers to improve our overall collective awareness about the EVMs
that lies at the core of our voting process and democracy. Jai Hind!
Rajiv Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner of India
 MESSAGE
Election Commissioner of India

It is time for us to restate the democratic values of our country as India recently celebrated 75 years of our independence.
The vitality of elections is a measure of the state of the nation’s democracy. Elections are both philosophical discussions as
well as physical happenings. Free and fair elections serve as the foundation for a strong democracy.

Every public organization should preserve its history. The Election Commission of India, which is justifiably proud of its
pivotal role in institutionalizing democracy in India, is a prime example of this. To ensure that future elections are a more
accurate reflection of the will of the public, the Election Commission has continually been enhancing its operations.

This commemorative publication, “40 years of EVM”, explores the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections,
from its manufacture to their use until the results are announced.

This book will enable readers in gaining a perspective on the importance of understanding EVMs and their use in Indian
elections.

Anup Chandra Pandey

Election Commissioner of India
 MESSAGE
Election Commissioner of India

I am pleased and glad to announce that the Election Commission of India is releasing the commemorative publication,
'40 YEARS OF EVM', on completion of forty years of first use of EVMs in India that was done on a pilot basis in Parur
constituency, Kerala in 1982.

Elections in India astound the world with their execution and implementation in numerous states across the country with
a voter base of more than 950 million.

The Election Commission of India has taken a number of steps to ensure the openness and rigorous implementation of
elections, including the deployment of Electronic Voting Machines. This publication covers the entire life cycle of an Indian
EVM, from production till end use for result announcement.

I hope that the content offered in the form of numerous photographs and writings on EVM usage, production, and
distribution will create a clear picture of robust and credible nature of Indian EVMs, thereby assisting every person in
becoming aware of EVMs and their use in elections. This book shall help in understanding the voting methodology and
absolute transparency of Electronic Voting Machines.

Arun Goel
Election Commissioner of India
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11
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From Ballot Paper to EVMs

13
 Voting Process: Then & Now

C hange, we are told, is the only constant – more so in the

recent decades, when technology has been reshaping the
world dramatically. The story of electronic voting machines
(EVMs) is also a story of marching ahead in tune with
technology and achieving change – for the better.

India’s democracy had been appreciated around the world, but

incidents of booth capturing were a blot on the system.
Applying technology to solve the problem would also make the
vote counting process quicker. With that objective, the EVM was
first introduced on pilot basis in a bye-election in Parur
Assembly Constituency of Kerala in 1982. Its benefits were
obvious. It trimmed the human resource requirements,
eliminated invalid votes and accelerated the counting process.

There was a case for a widespread introduction of EVMs, but

that needed an amendment in the election law. Following a
verdict of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India with respect to the
Parur bye-election, the Representation of the People Act, 1951,
which governs the elections in India, was amended in 1988.
That set the stage for the use of EVMs across the country. The
process moved forward and 15 years later, in the Lok Sabha
Elections of 2004, the EVMs achieved 100 percent coverage – a
milestone for India’s democracy.

This is, above all, thanks to India’s voters, who have heartily
welcomed the innovation and have repeatedly reposed faith in
its integrity. Credit also goes to the other stakeholders for
making it a success.

A young bride casting vote in Rajasthan using Ballot Paper

14
An elderly woman voting through EVM in an awareness campaign

15
 Counting Process: Then & Now

The tedious counting process in the ballot paper era Seamless counting through EVM

16

A glimpse of VVPAT paper slips being taken out for verification
of votes recorded in Control Unit
C ounting of votes is the last but one of the most
essential processes of any election. Any
obstruction/ deviation from the laid down process can
hamper the efforts put in by all the stakeholders for
conducting elections.
When the elections were conducted through ballot
papers, the counting used to take place for days. One of
the most significant challenge faced by counting staff
in those days was deciding the validity of a vote. Many
instances had come to light where a vote was
ultimately declared invalid due to reasons like
stamping against multiple candidates, improper
folding of ballot paper causing imprint of stamp on
more than one candidate etc.
With the introduction of EVMs, not only the counting
time is reduced from days to hours but it has also
eliminated the possibility of invalid votes altogether.
Now, polling station wise result is instantly displayed in
sequence for each candidate on the screen of Control
Unit with a single click of the 'RESULT' button. Counting
is carried out under videography and in the presence of
Counting Agents nominated by Candidates.
To further enhance the faith of voters in EVMs, VVPAT
was introduced in 2013 which enables any voter to
verify their recorded vote. The VVPAT slips thus
generated are counted for five randomly selected
Polling Stations of each Assembly Constituency/
Assembly Segment. There has not been even a single
instance of mismatch between result of VVPAT & CU,
which speaks volume about the credibility of EVMs.
17
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Electronic Voting Machine:

Pillar of Indian Democracy

19
 Demonstration of the first Electronic Voting Machine
by then Chief Election Commissioner Shri S.L. Shakdhar in
1982
20
EVMs Across Generations

Do you
know ?
The Electronic Voting Machine
(EVM) was first conceived in 1977
The first EVMs used were designed
with 8 candidates buttons.
The first model of EVM introduced in 1982

Do you
know ?
The first EVM prototype was developed by
Electronics Corporation of India Limited
(ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Limited
(BEL) in 1979
The EVM model with twelve buttons in BU, 1983

Do you
know ?
EVMs were redesigned with 16
candidates button in 1989.

The 1989 model of EVM

21
 Do you
know ?
M1 CU had two display screens, one for
candidate sequence and another for
number of votes.

M1 Model of EVM (2000)

Do you
know ?
The first prototype of Voter Verifiable Paper
Audit Trail (VVPAT) was introduced in 2011

M2 Model of EVM (2006)

Do you
know ?
2013 was the year when the
option of None of the Above
(NOTA) was included in the BU.

M3 Model of EVM (2013 onwards)

22
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Indian EVMs:
A Technical Marvel

23
 Technical Expert Committee - The Creators of EVMs

A fter the introduction of Electronic Voting

Machines by the Election Commission in
1982, a section of Political Parties had First TEC, 1990
questioned (1) the process of voting through Chairman
EVM and (2) the integrity of EVMs. Professor S. Sampath
Chairman, Technical Advisory Committee,
To arrest the first obstacle, relevant provisions Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO),
Ministry of Defence
in the Election Laws were introduced in 1989.
The second obstacle resulted in formation of Professor P.V. Indiresan
IIT Delhi
Electoral Reform Committee by Govt of India in
Dr. Rao C. Kasarabada
1990 under the chairmanship of Sh. Dinesh Director, Electronic Research &
Goswami, then MoS, Law & Justice. This Development Centre (ERDC), Thiruvananthapuram

Committee also had representation from

several National and State Recognized
Political Parties of that time.

The Dinesh Goswami Committee in principle recommended the use of EVMs in Indian Elections.
However, it also recommended for examination of EVMs by an expert Committee which culminated in
formation of the First Technical Expert Committee by Govt. of India in January 1990.

In April 1990, the Expert Committee unanimously recommended the use of EVMs without any further
loss of time, marking it technically sound, secure and transparent.

Technological changes in EVMs led to constitution of the Second Technical Expert Committee by
Election Commission of India in 2005 and since then Technical Expert Committee has became
permanent in nature.

24

SecondTEC, 2005
Chairman
Professor P.V. Indiresan
Director, IIT Madras
Professor D.T. Shahani
IIT Delhi
Professor A.K. Agarwala
IIT Delhi
?
Do you
know
The current Chairman of
Technical Experts Committee,
Prof. D.T. Shahani has been
honoured with the Padma Shri
award in 2022 for his contribution
to the field of education.
Third and Present
TEC, 2010
Chairman
Professor D.T. Shahani
IIT Delhi
PROFESSOR A.K. Agarwala
IIT Delhi
PROFESSOR Rajat Moona
Director, IIT Gandhinagar
PROFESSOR DINESH K. SHARMA
IIT Bombay
Role of TEC
E Approves design of EVM & VVPAT
E Vets and seals the software used in EVM & VVPAT
E Introduced various electrical, environmental and RF
detection tests that need to be passed by each lot of
manufactured EVMs and VVPATs to be qualified as a
standalone, secure and tamper proof machine.
Prof. D.T. Shahani
E Recommends continuous design improvement in
EVM & VVPAT
E Recommends improvements in the manufacturing
processes
E They monitor and recommend the processes used
for secure manufacturing of EVMs and VVPATs.
25
 Some Special Features of the Electronic Voting Ma
Light weight:
Easy to Handle
Standalone
Machine

Saves Counting
Time Eco-
Friendly

Tamper Proof Robust &

Reliable

User Friendly Self Diagnosis

26
chine (EVM)
Unique Serial Number : Each unit has a unique serial number stored in its memory
which matches with the laser marked number and barcode imprinted on its rear side.
Real Time Clock (RTC) : A real time clock is embedded in Control Unit (CU) which
displays the current date and time whenever the unit is switched on and on
pressing the ‘Total’ button. Any malfunction of the RTC is displayed as ‘CLOCK
ERROR’.
Battery Status : EVM operates on a special power pack commonly known as
Battery. The status of battery is displayed on CU display on power ON and CU
displays ‘CHANGE BATTERY’ whenever battery is LOW .
Print : The result of poll data can be printed, if required.
Mutual Authentication : CU, BU & VVPAT have strong mutual authentication capabilities
which prohibits connection of any unauthorized device with them.
Power Saving mode : The unit goes into power saving mode when it is idle, thus
enhancing the life of the battery.
Braille : Moulding of Braille numerals on the Ballot Unit for ease of visually
challenged voters to cast their vote.

27
 Know Your EVM

Control Unit

Power ON LED Busy LED is ON after ballot

button is pressed as CU is
ready to record the vote

Candidate-wise total
votes are displayed
by pressing Total button

Clear button erases all the

After pressing this button data from CU
no further votes can
be recorded in the CU

Allows display of
Ballot button activates
total votes cast BU to cast single vote

A sound of beep is heard when voter cast the vote

indicating successful recording of vote in CU

28
Indicates that Corresponding paper slip is visible
BU is ready to to the voter for about 7 seconds
cast a vote

Voter casts vote by pressing suitable

candidate button of his/her choice

Braille Script used for Drop Box for

visually challenged voters VVPAT Paper Slips
to cast vote

?
Before every election/bye-election of Assembly/
Do you
Lok Sabha, First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs &
know
VVPATs is done well before the actual poll.
During FLC, previous data of EVMs is cleared and
each unit undergoes full physical and
functionality tests in the presence of
representatives of National and State recognized
Ballot Unit Political Parties.

29
 Robustness of EVMs
Dynamic and encrypted
Coding of signals
among the units
Unauthorized Access
Detection Module -
One Time prevents any
Programmable attempt to tamper
(OTP) Chip the EVM

Real Time
Clock for
time stamping
of events

Mutual
Authentication
among the
units of
EVM by
verification of
embedded
digital
certificates No wired/wireless
communication
possible with outside world

30
VVPAT: A Symbol of Transparency

VVPAT was first used in the

bye-election to 51-Noksen AC of
Nagaland in 2013

VVPATs were used in 100% Polling

Stations in Lok Sabha elections, 2019

It allows the voter to verify their

vote by displaying it on a paper
slip for about 7 seconds

Contrast sensor maintains the

print quality of VVPAT paper slip

Length sensor determines the

specified length of paper slip

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail

Depletion sensor gives warning

well before exhaustion of paper roll

Fall sensor ensures every

paper slip cuts and falls after
about 7 seconds of display

Has all the security features available

in CU and BU

31
 EVM Ancillaries
First Level Check
Unit (FLCU)
FLCU
E It is used during the First Level
Checking of EVMs and VVPATs
individually to diagnose full
functionality of EVM and VVPAT.
E It checks a total of 480 electrical
parameters of EVM units (403 of
CU, 45 of BU and 32 of VVPAT)
E Failure of even a single parameter
results in rejection of the unit

SLU
It is used for loading the symbols in VVPAT and for real time display
of symbol loading on a TV screen with the help of Symbol Loading
Monitoring Device (SLMD)

32
 Symbol Loading
Unit (SLU)

Symbol Loading Monitoring

Device (SLMD)

Display of dummy symbols being loaded in VVPAT

33
 EVM Consumables

VVPAT Power Pack CU Power Pack

Pink Paper Seal - Used for sealing of cabinet of CU & BU

Green Paper Seal - Used for sealing of ‘Result Section’ of CU

34
Special Tag for Close Button of CU

Common Address Tag Thermal Paper Roll for use in VVPAT

Sealing of CU with Common Address Tag

35
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Manufacturing of
Indian EVMs

37
 Manufacturers:
The People Behind The Action
Electronics Corporation of India Limited
A Government of India (Dept. of Atomic Energy) Enterprise

Established in 1967
Public Sector Enterprise under Department of Atomic Energy
Engaged in the Design, Development, Manufacture and
Marketing of several products with emphasis on three
technology lines viz. Computers, Control Systems and
Communications
Credited with manufacturing India's first indigenous digital
computers

Bharat Electronics Limited

Government of India, Ministry of Defence

Established in 1954
Public Sector Enterprise under Ministry of Defence
Engaged in the areas of Radars & Fire Control Systems,
Missile Systems, Communication & C4I systems, Electronic
Warfare & Avionics, Naval Systems & Antisubmarine Warfare
Systems, Electro Optics, Tank Electronics & Gun Upgrades,
and Strategic Components.
Credited with manufacturing India's first indigenous digital
computers

38
EVM Manufacturing Units

Panchkula (Haryana)
Kotdwar (Uttarakhand)
Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh)

Hyderabad (Telangana)

Bengaluru (Karnataka)

39
 Manufacturing of EVMs and VVPATs
he task of manufacturing of EVMs and VVPATs for use in Lok Sabha Elections and Elections to the
T Legislative Assemblies of all the States/UTs has been handed over to two prestigious Public
Sector Undertakings, namely, Bharat Electronics Limited, a PSU under Ministry of Defence and
Electronics Corporation of India Limited, a PSU under Department of Atomic Energy. EVM
manufacturing is done in their own premises in highly secured environment.

The EVMs and VVPATs manufacturing process is laid down by Technical Expert Committee taking care
of all the security and durability measures. Incoming Components, manufactured PCBs and Unit
assembly are qualified with TEC suggested quality procedures for final quality clearance by the
manufacturer as well as third party clearance by Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification
Directorate (STQC), an attached office of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Secure Manufacturing Facility (SMF)

E VMs & VVPATs are manufactured in a highly secured environment called Secure Manufacturing
Facility (SMF) that ensures need based access control on the movement of goods and people. SMF
is an all encompassing facility covering aspects related to monitoring of secured physical
infrastructure, authorized access control and real time logging of all the relevant data of items used and
operators for traceability purposes in the future.

Some of the salient features of the Secure Manufacturing Facility (SMF) are listed below:
E Four levels of need-based access mechanism used to prevent unauthorised movement of goods
and people
E Traceability of components used, processes implemented and operators involved
E Continuous monitoring of processes
E Real time logging of all the pre-production, production and post-production data of every machine

40
Employees Extraneous Staff Visitors

Main Gate

Level 1
Access Control
(ID Card Check)

Level 2
Access Control
(Security Guard)

Level 3
Access Control
(Biometric & Security Guard)

Level 4
Access Control
(Defender door with grilled door having
two physical keys with two authorities)

Four Levels of Access Control in Secure Manufacturing Facility

41
 Production Lines of EVMs & VVPATs

42
43
 Rigorous Testing During Production Stage
Component Level Testing

Test Jig for Endurance Testing of Micro switches used in EVM Test Jig for Highly Accelerated Life
Testing of EVM components

PCB Level Testing

44
Unit Level Testing

Electrical Testing of EVMs & VVPATs

Environmental Testing of EVMs & VVPATs Electromagnetic Interference Testing of EVMs & VVPATs

45
 Laser-Marking Machine for printed circuit boards

Laser Marking Machine

46
Digital Certification of EVMs & VVPATs

Secured Digital Certificate Loading Process

47
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Transportation and
Storage of EVMs

49
 s per the requirement, EVMs are

A transported to the states where elections

are due in a few months and these
machines are stored in different warehouses of
the concerned State.
Strict transportation and Storage protocols are
followed for this purpose.
Transportation Protocol
E Movement is mandatorily done through EVM
Management Software (EMS).
E All trucks are sealed in the presence of
representatives of political parties and
vehicles with GPS tracking facility are used for
the movement .
E Loading / unloading process is video-graphed
by the District Election Officer concerned.
Storage Protocol
E Warehouses are always opened/closed in the
presence of representatives of National & State
recognized political parties who are informed
beforehand about the opening/closing.
E Opening and Closing of warehouses is always
video-graphed.
E Monthly/Quarterly inspection of warehouses
is done for checking its internal condition.

Safety & Security Arrangements

Minimum half section of armed police is deployed
24X7 for security of warehouse. Also starting
from First Level Checking of EVMs, the security is
enhanced to minimum one section of Armed
Police. Loading of EVMs in containerised trucks for transportation

50
51
 Transportation of EVMs with strict security proto

52
col

GPS Tracking of In-transit EVMs

53
 Integrated Election Complex, Bakhtawarpur, Delhi: A state-of-the-art facility for storage of EVMs, VVPATs and other election materials.

?
EVMs are categorized in four ways and stored like wise:
Do you Category ‘A’- Polled EVMs
know Category ‘B’- Non-functional Polled EVMs
Category ‘C’- Non-functional Un-polled EVMs
Category ‘D’- Unused Reserve EVMs

54
 Do you
know ?
Warehouse/Strong room
has only one entry/exit point
with double lock system. All
other doors/windows are
sealed using concrete.
Main Switch of electricity is
outside the Warehouse/
Strong Room and electricity
is disconnected after sealing
of Warehouse/Strong Room.

Inside view of strong room with set

of EVMs & VVPATs kept ready for
deployment in poll

55
 Sealing of the Strong Room with double locks in presence of representatives of political parties and under videography as per protocol

56
24x7 security of the Strong Room by armed personnel

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Training & Awareness of

EVMs & VVPATs

59
 Before every
Lok Sabha
elections,
EVM and
VVPAT
Awareness
Campaigns
are carried out
across
length and
breadth of
India.

60
An awareness campaign in Kargil, Leh & Ladakh, 2019

61
 Training of ROs & AROs for Tripura Legislative

62
Assembly
AssemblyElections,
Elections,2023
2023

63
64
 Spreading
Awareness
Among
Women
Voters

Women in
Telangana
learning the voting
process.

Women in
Haryana
participating in
an awareness
campaign

65
 EVM education being
imparted to students

Members of Election
Management Bodies
at the International
Election Visitors
Programme (IEVP),
2019

66
Senior citizens participating in an awareness campaign

Awareness campaign being run in hilly areas of Sikkim

67
 Innovative Awareness Campaign during
COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to the pandemic, assembly of a large number of persons around EVM and VVPAT was not possible. Hence, innovative methods
were adopted to spread awareness regarding EVM and VVPAT. Here a group of volunteers are seen with a rangoli explaining the
functions of EVM and VVPAT in Sitamarhi district, Bihar, 2020

68
A VVPAT awareness vehicle in Chhattisgarh

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Deployment of EVMs & VVPATs

71
 ndia has a special imprint on World map
I because of vast geographical diversity.
We have the Great Himalayas in the north,
the Thar desert in the West and a vast
coastline of around 7500 km along the
Eastern and Southern part of Indian
mainland. Apart from this, India has two
island groups namely Andaman & Nicobar
and Lakshdweep.

These geographical landscapes, though

beautiful, put an arduous challenge before
ECI to smoothly conduct elections in such
tough terrains. It is with the sole motto of "
No voter to be left behind" that the polling
parties embark on this challenging mission
of traveling long distances, crossing rivers,
bracing extreme weather conditions like
snow fall, heat waves etc. to reach the
remotest corners of the country.

It's only through these commendable efforts

of polling parties at ground level during poll
that every indian can proudly excercise
his/her franchise and be proud of our Indian
democracy!

72
Meghalaya 2013

73
74
Overcoming challenges to reach polling stations.
75
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Deployment of EVMs in hilly and snow capped regions of the Himalayan states

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Polling personnel: The bedrock of Indian Democracy

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CELEBRATING

PRIDE OF
INDIAN
ELECTIONS
of
Years EVM

Journey of EVM:
From Challenges to
Wider Acceptance

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 Important Legal Provisions Related to EVMs
Section 61A of Representation of the People's Act, 1951 - This Section was inserted
in the original Act through an amendment by Parliament in 1989. It inter-alia permits
use of Electronic Voting Machines in Assembly and Lok Sabha Elections by Election
Commission of India.

Rule 49A of Conduct of Election Rules (CoE), 1961 - This rule specifies that an
Electronic Voting Machine shall consist of a Control Unit and a Ballot Unit. Further,
proviso to this Rule was added by an amendment in 2013 which permits use of
Printer with drop box along with EVMs for printing a paper trail of the vote. This
printer is now commonly known as Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

Rule 49M of CoE Rules, 1961 - This Rule provides procedure for recording of a vote
in VVPAT.

Rule 49MA of CoE Rules, 1961- This Rule defines procedure to register a complaint
by a voter if she claims that the paper slip generated by VVPAT shows the name or
symbol of a candidate other than the one she voted for.

Rule 56D of CoE Rules, 1961 - Under this Rule, Candidate/Counting Agent may apply
in writing to the Returning Officer for counting of VVPAT paper slips of any of the
Polling Station(s).

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Validation of EVMs by Judiciary

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 Validation of EVMs by Judiciary
Madras
High Court (2001)
AIADMK vs ECI
Petition seeking prohibition of
use of EVMs by ECI in the
Tamil Nadu Legislative
Assembly Elections:
The working of EVM was
demonstrated to the
satisfaction of the court.
The court dismissed the
contentions on pre-
programming of EVMs and
ruled out its possible rigging.
Bombay High Court (2017)
Abhay B. Chajed vs
Smt. Madhuri Misal
The petitioner sought
examination of EVMs used
during Maharashtra Assembly
Elections in 2014.
The court ordered Central
Forensic Science Laboratory
(CFSL), Hyderabad to
technically examine the EVMs.
The CFSL in its report ruled out
any evidence of tampering,
altering or any other
manipulation in the EVMs.
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Karnataka
High Court (2004)
Michael B. Fernandes
vs C. K. Jaffer Sharief
Efficacy & Integrity of
EVMs was challenged:
The Court observed that
EVMs are fully tamper
proof and ruled out the
possibility of
manipulation in EVMs.
The court declared EVM
a National Pride.
Uttarakhand High
Court (2017)
Dr Ramesh Pandey vs ECI
The petitioner questioned the ‘EVM
challenge’ held on June 3, 2017.
The Hon’ble court said, "Prima
facie, it is evident … that this
system is seal proof. The EVMs are
not hackable. There cannot be any
manipulation at manufacturing
stage. … The ECI-EVMs cannot be
physically tampered with. The
EVMs use some of the most
sophisticated technological
features ..."
Madhya Pradesh
High Court (2014)
Krishna Kumar Gupta
vs Rajendra Shukla
The Hon’ble Court held that all
doubts and queries regarding EVMs
have already been answered in the
FAQs on the ECI website, wherein it
has been specifically shown that
there is no possibility of a voter
voting more than once by pressing
the button again and again. It was
also held that EVMs are foolproof
devices for counting, and therefore
the allegations made in the petition
regarding malfunctioning and
tampering of EVMs were baseless.
Delhi High
Court (2021)
C.R. Jaya Sukin vs ECI
This PIL was filed seeking
directions to stop the use of
EVMs and to use the ballot
paper instead. The Hon’ble
Court dismissed the petition
with costs of Rs 10,000,
observing that the petition was
akin to a “publicity interest
litigation” and was based on
hearsay and baseless
allegations.
What the Media said
 Hackathon, 2017
he EVM has been a technological wonder, but its success – and acceptance by voters – has not stopped some from
T raising doubts about it. In 2017, the ECI held a press conference and explained in great detail why it had absolute
confidence in non-tamperability of ECI-EVMs working within the technical and administrative safeguards. In an extraordinary
measure, the ECI then announced an ‘EVM challenge’, and invited all national and state recognised political parties to
participate it. Only two parties came forward to participate in it. However, later they reported that they did not wish to participate
in the challenge but only wanted to understand the EVM process. A detailed demonstration was given to them separately by a
technical team. They also had a detailed session with the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) of the Commission in which all
their doubts were cleared. They then expressed their complete satisfaction with the EVM process.

Press Conference on 03.06.2017 by Election Commission announcing open challenge to hack EVMs

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The ECI then thanked all stakeholders and also reassured them, especially the citizens, that it would leave no stone unturned for
preserving the purity, integrity and credibility of the elections and reinforcing their faith and trust in the electoral democracy of
the country. The ECI also expressed it desire that all citizens and stakeholders remain aware, vigilant and alert about our
electoral processes so that it can further strengthen the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.

All allegations were put to rest as EVMs could not be hacked.

The credibility and integrity of ECI-EVMs has remained intact and unscathed.

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CELEBRATING

PRIDE OF
INDIAN
ELECTIONS
of
Years EVM

Interesting Facts

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 The Case of Nizamabad Lok Sabha Election, 2019
Do you
know ?
q During 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, 185 candidates
were in fray in Nizamabad Parliamentary
Constituency
q As one BU could accommodate only 16 candidates,
12 BUs were deployed in each of the 1778 polling
stations

4-NIZAMABAD
Parliamentary Constituency Map

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- A Challenge overcame

Discussion of election
officers with political parties
for placement of twelve
BUs and one VVPAT in one
polling station/
voting compartment

The voting compartment

with twelve BUs and one
VVPAT in one of the polling
stations of Nizamabad
Parliamentary Constituency

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 Interesting Facts Lok Sabha Elections 2019
A total of 61.2 crore votes were cast through EVMs in this Election.

It was the first time when Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was used in
100% of the 10,37,848 polling stations of all the 543 Parliamentary Constituencies.

In 543 PCs consisting of 4,123 Assembly segments, the counting of CU was

verified with VVPAT paper slips for a total of 20,687 VVPATs without any single
mismatch.

Approximately 37. 20 lakhs BUs, CUs & VVPATs were used in this election.

Around 65 lakh voters chose 'NOTA' (None of the Above) option across
543 PCs.

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Highlights of Assembly Elections 2021-22
HIMACHAL PRADESH
No. of EVMs used in
Assembly Elections, 2022- UTTARAKHAND ASSAM
7,884 No. of EVMs used in No. of EVMs used in
Assembly Elections, 2022- Assembly Elections, 2021-
11,938 33,757
PUNJAB
No. of EVMs used in UTTAR PRADESH
Assembly Elections, 2022- No. of EVMs used in
26,173 Assembly Elections, 2022-
1,77,433 MANIPUR
No. of EVMs used in
Assembly Elections, 2022-
2,968

GUJARAT
No. of EVMs used in WEST BENGAL
Assembly Elections, 2022- No. of EVMs used in
53,708 Assembly Elections, 2021-
1,01,224

PUDUCHERRY
GOA No. of EVMs used in
No. of EVMs used in Assembly Elections, 2021-
Assembly Elections, 2022- 1,677
1,722

KERALA TAMIL NADU

No. of EVMs used in No. of EVMs used in
Assembly Elections, 2021- Assembly Elections, 2021-
40,771 1,26,922

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 Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar trekked 18 km. to reach one of the remote polling stations situated in Dumak
Village of Badrinath Assembly Constituency, Uttarakhand on 03.06.2022

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 uring visit of H.E. Ms.
D Annalena Baerbock,
Foreign Minister of
Germany, a demonstration
of EVM-VVPAT functioning
was organized by ECI for
the delegation where the
minister personally cast a
vote through EVM. Ms.
Baerbock, along with the
MPs, keenly observed the
strong security features of
standalone EVMs and was
also briefed by the
Commission regarding
rigorous administrative
protocols on handling,
movement, storage,
operations and the process
for participation of political
parties at every stage of
electoral processes
involving EVMs.

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H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock,
Foreign Minister of Germany,
during her visit to the
Election Commission on
06.12.2022

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 Links to Resources
Manual on EVM & VVPAT:
https://eci.gov.in/files/file/15217-manual-on-electronic-voting-machine-
and-vvpat-edition-8-august-2023/

Status Paper on EVM:

https://eci.gov.in/files/file/8756-status-paper-on-evm-edition-4/

EVM Credibility : Technological and Administrative safeguards :

https://eci.gov.in/files/file/9228-evm-credibility-technological-
and-administrative-safeguards/

Legal History of EVMs & VVPATs:

https://eci.gov.in/files/file/14525-legal-history-of-evms-and-vvpats/

FAQs on Electronic Voting Machine

https://eci.gov.in/faqs/evm/general-qa/electronic-voting-machine-r17/

*Please refer to ECI website www.eci.gov.in for the updated versions of the above mentioned resources.

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