Question

Write short note on Journey from the ballot box to EVM machine.

Answer 1

Since the first General Election in 1951-52, the election process has undergone various changes to improve voter experience. One such change includes introduction of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in 1990s. It was a step towards preservation of environment since the machine eliminated the use of paper, it was now easier to vote for disabled people and promised an early declaration of results. The most notable feature of the EVM, however, was the NOTA (None of the above) option which enabled the voters to not vote for any candidate if they were not satisfied with him/her.

Answer 2

1. After independence, the first election was conducted between 1951 and 1952. This was the beginning of the shaping of democracy through electoral reforms.
2. Earlier, ballot boxes were used for the purpose of voting.
3. It was later, in the decade of 1990s, EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) came to be used. An EVM is a simple electronic device which is used to record votes in place of ballot papers and boxes.
4. The voter can choose the option of ‘NOTA’ (None of the above) available on the EVM when he does not want to vote for any candidate.
5. Disabled people (Divyanga) find it easy to vote through EVM.
6. Due to EVM, it is possible to declare the results easily and it has also made the process eco-friendly.