By:
Sudeep Jain
Director General, Election Commission of India
10 March 2016
Electronic
Voting
Machine
(EVM)
The Wonder
Machine of
Indian Elections
 Indian EVMs are rated as the most credible voting machines worldwide.
 100% Temper Proof
 Elaborate Security & Randomisation Protocol
 Observers Play a Key Role
 Should visit EVM strong room & check that security protocol is followed as per ECI instructions.
 Pre-Poll & Post-Poll - Strong rooms to have:
 24X7 armed police guard
 CCTV & continuous video recording
 Facility for candidates/their agents to keep a watch
 Check & certify second randomisation of EVMs
 Oversee Setting of candidates on EVMs after second randomization is done, as soon
as candidates are finalized
 Update CU & BU numbers of EVMs for each Polling Station on EVM tracking
software
 Communicate the above list of EVMs, including reserve & training EVMs, in writing
to the candidates
 Let candidates pick up minimum 5% EVMs randomly & do mock poll with 1000
votes
 Entire process to be done in the presence of candidates/their agents under video
 VVPAT will be used in 10 & 22 Assembly Constituencies in Assam & West Bengal
 Mock poll to start 1 hour before actual poll in the presence of Polling agents.
 Minimum 50 mock votes.
 Mock poll certificate to be prepared by the Presiding Officer & signed by agents present.
 In case EVM replacement is required –
 EVMs should be replaced within half an hour including both CU & BU
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Entire set of BU & CU should be replaced
Cross check in advance how the reserve EVMs are being distributed
ID number of the new BU & CU to be communicated to all candidates/agents in writing
Mock Poll to be conducted before using the new EVM
 EVMs are to be transported to the strong rooms only under strong police guard.
 Special Counter for receiving EVM from ‘problem polling stations’ identified during poll.
 Observer to remain present at the special counter & record statements of P.O. where significant events such as EVM
malfunctioning reported.
 Counting shall begin with Postal Ballot papers.
 After half an hour, counting with EVMs shall begin.
 Results of EVM counting should not be announced before finalizing Postal Ballot counting.
 Result of two EVM to be randomly re-checked by Micro-Observers.
 A close-up of the display screen of the CU to be video recorded at the time of counting.
 In case result is not retrieved from an EVM, it should be kept aside & counting of other EVMs to be
continued.
Efforts to be made to retrieve result from such EVM by ADU or by a printer
 If result is still not retrieved then check the number of votes polled in the EVM from ballot paper account
(Form 17-C)
 If winning margin is more than the number of votes polled in the EVM, result could be declared.
Otherwise refer the matter to the Commission for decision

 "Before you become a leader,
success is all about growing
yourself. When you become a
leader, success is all about
growing others”
 You can be the catalyst to convert routine trainings to effective trainings
 Check availability of master-trainers. Is the number sufficient? Interact with
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them
Check the schedule of trainings
Hands-on EVM training to Polling Teams
Adequate training of Police, Sector Magistrates, Flying Squads, Static
Surveillance Teams, etc
Sample each of these trainings & ensure they are not ‘attendance marking’
events. Check the quality & effectiveness
Micro-observers to be trained by Observers
Poll day arrangements inside polling stations (dummy polling station setup with trained manpower at
dispatch centre)
 Voting compartment to be secure & secluded
 Only authorized persons to be inside PS
Understanding of the role of Polling Agents & giving them the requisite documents – 17-C, Paper seal no.
Presiding officer not to go to voting compartment & ‘assist’ the voters
Training on SMS based poll monitoring and other IT applications
Explain Supreme Court judgment about ‘NOTA’ & scrapping of Rule 49 O
Explain about Absent, Shifted & Duplicate names in E-Roll
Filling up of Register –17A & 17C & Tallying of 17A, 17C & the EVM count
Training Counter at Dispatch centers for last moment hands-on training on EVM and related procedures.