Tampering EVMs: Is it Possible?

Every EVM machine has a control unit, a balloting unit, and a 5-metre cable.  The Election Commission-appointed polling officer has the control unit while the voting compartment has the balloting unit.

To vote, a voter just has to press a button against the name of the candidate. Control unit acts as the EVM’s brain; the balloting unit is turned on only after the polling officer presses the ‘Ballot’ button on it.

The moment a button is pressed, the machine locks itself and opens again only with a new ballot number. They are being preferred as they are easier to carry and count votes on. However, the EVM could be a threat to the elections deciding fates of the candidates.

THREATS

1. The working of EVMs is no rocket science.
2. Profiles of voters can be accessed through EVMs.
3. EVMs can be tampered by election officials.
4. The EVM software can be easily changed in the EVMs.

The hacked EVMs is not a new issue. Not only India, the issue has been raised in other countries such as The Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Italy and United States’ California state. Some countries have even banned EVMs for the voting process.

1. The Netherlands banned the EVMs for lack of transparency.
2. After three years of research, Irelandbanned the use of EVMs in the country.
3. Germany banned the EVMs calling them unconstitutional.
4. Italy also dropped e-voting.
5. In the United States, California and many other states banned EVMs citing improper trails in EVMs.
6. England and France have never used EVMs in any of their elections.

PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS ON VOTING MACHINES

1. The first irregularity in EVMs was reported in Floridaduring the 2000 elections.
2. In 2006, a Dutch TV channel ran a documentary showing proofs of how easy it is to hack the EVMs.
3. Following which, the Netherlands banned the EVMs and went back to voting through ballot papers.
4. A report by a team of experts stated various issues with the EVM machines. “The technology’s promise was that attacks on the ballot box and dishonesty in the counting process would be more difficult. Yet we find that such attacks remain possible while being potentially more difficult to detect,” said the report.
5. Professor Halderman of University of Michigan also showed how the working of the EVMs can be changed through mobile phones to get desired results.

The matter has also been taken to the Delhi High Court by advocate Pran Nath Lekhi. Lekhi had alleged that EVMs were tampered with but the court did not find any merit in the petition.

General Questions asked about EVMs

How can EVMs be used in areas where there is no electricity?

EVMs run on an ordinary 6 volt alkaline battery and therefore can be used even in areas without any electricity.

EVMs cater to a maximum of 64 candidates. What will happen if the number of contesting candidates in a constituency goes beyond 64?

In case the number of contesting candidates goes beyond 64 in any constituency, EVMs cannot be used in such a constituency. The conventional method of voting by means of ballot box and ballot paper will have to be adopted in such a constituency.

Can booth-capturing be prevented by the use of EVMs?

Booth capturing by taking away or damaging ballot boxes or ballot papers cannot be prevented if EVMs are used, as the machines can be taken away or damaged.

However, if one looks at booth capturing as a case of miscreants intimidating the polling personnel and stamping the ballot papers on the symbol and escaping in a matter of minutes, this can be prevented by the use of EVMs. The EVMs are programmed in such a way that the machines will record only five votes in a minute.