Critics, including the Congress and other opposition parties, have raised concerns about the reliability of India’s Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which, despite not being internet-connected, could theoretically be “pre-programmed” to record votes inaccurately.
Issues cited include potential tampering and hacking, software vulnerabilities, lack of transparency, and incidents of malfunction. While the Election Commission of India (ECI) asserts that EVMs are secure and tamper-proof, the debate persists, with calls for greater transparency and enhanced security measures.
With a postgraduate diploma in software engineering, I possess a greater digital literacy and a better understanding of chip-based devices compared to the average person. This expertise allows me to assess the hackability of various computer gadgets, including EVMs. Previously, I had neither examined the hardware of EVMs nor observed their voting process, so I couldn’t provide an informed opinion on the recent allegations regarding their susceptibility to hacking. However, my recent appointment as a presiding officer in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency elections has changed that.
Srinagar’s election featured around 25 candidates, including the NOTA option, necessitating the use of two ballot units linked to a single control unit. The inclusion of the Virtual Voter Paper Trail (VVPT), which lets voters verify that their vote was cast correctly, added an extra layer of security to the process. Additionally, CCTV cameras monitored all proceedings, ensuring no unauthorized activities occurred and that the process concluded smoothly and without any external interference.
Although the training I had received did not fully prepare me for operating the EVM, conducting a mock poll, and overseeing the voting process, I was confident that my knowledge of the electronic gadgets would allow me to manage everything smoothly. When I unpacked the units, it felt instinctive, as easy as connecting a printer to a CPU—a task I had done countless times before. Watching numerous YouTube videos on operating the machine made it simple for me to connect the various cables to the Control Unit, despite the warnings we had received during our training sessions. Honestly, I had skipped most of the training due to the presence of inadequately prepared training personnel.
I thoroughly examined the Control Unit, inspecting its connections multiple times to ensure there were no external ports that could be linked to any external computer or laptop. This confirmed that the unit was secure and not vulnerable to hacking attempts. Notably, the Control Unit lacked a USB port or any other interface that could be exploited to connect unauthorized devices. This design feature reassured me that the system was well-protected against potential security breaches, further ensuring the integrity and reliability of the voting process. My detailed inspection gave me confidence that the EVMs were robust against external tampering and manipulation.
After successfully conducting the mock poll, I was pleased to see that the buttons pressed on the Ballot Unit accurately matched the results displayed on the VVPT, as well as the voter slips collected in the box below. The digital results aligned with the manual counts, confirming the integrity of the process. As a presiding officer, I felt satisfied that the procedure was as transparent as one could hope for. I personally applied multiple seals to the Control Unit and the VVPAT, ensuring both units were securely closed. I meticulously penned down the serial numbers for recording in various forms, ensuring all equipment was properly accounted for and secured.
Overall, it was a smooth day for us as I officially closed the voting at precisely 6:00 PM. My team and I then secured all the units in their respective casings, sealed them properly, and the casings as well. Within about half an hour, we arrived at the collection center and handed over all the equipment.
Up to this stage, there is no room for any misconduct to disrupt the voting process. With impartial security personnel monitoring the proceedings outside the polling stations, it is unreasonable to question the integrity of the EVM-based voting process.
The ECI has repeatedly asserted that the machines are completely tamper-proof and cannot be hacked. The Commission lodged a police complaint regarding allegations made by US-based Indian “cyber-expert” Syed Shuja at a London event, claiming that India’s EVMs could be tampered with.
Shuja, who also claimed to be a former employee of the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), made a series of unverified allegations about the vulnerability of EVMs used in India, including in the 2014 general election.
The Commission asserts that the EVM is an independent device with no external wired or wireless connections beyond its own system. Furthermore, it explains that each component is equipped with digital certificates and performs mutual authentication when linked. As a result, connecting any unauthorized device to the system is impossible.
In 2017, the Commission also organized a hackathon, wherein it invited opposition parties to demonstrate their claims that the EVMs were, or could be, tampered with. However, recently, the Supreme Court of India warned against publicizing EVM source code, apprehending that such disclosure will make the machine prone to hacking.
The source code is a set of human-readable instructions that tells the machine what to do. If altered, the source code can change the outcome of an election.
In September last year, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had disallowed a petition for public audit of the source code, saying this would make the machines vulnerable to hacking.
“If we start putting out the source code in the public domain, you know who will be able to hack that,” the bench had told the petitioner.
Given these concerns, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission must take extraordinary measures to ensure the integrity of elections in India, the world’s largest democracy. Conducting elections in India involves immense human and financial resources, and the stakes are incredibly high.
With the eyes of the world often on its democratic processes, India cannot afford to tarnish its image. To uphold the sanctity of its electoral process, authorities must implement rigorous checks and balances at every stage. These measures should be designed to address and dispel any fears or doubts, thereby maintaining the credibility and trust that underpin the entire gamut of India’s democracy.
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