EVM - VVPAT: Election commission denies the possibilities of tampering in them... So why are they questioned?

Image credit: Election Commission of India

India is undoubtedly the world's largest democracy and has one of the biggest elections held every 5 years in the entire country.

India breaks & makes a new record in every 5 years for the scale in which the elections are held. This time in 2019 general elections there are 900 million voters!!!

And this mammoth task of organising the elections is carried out by the Election Commission of India which is an independent organisation.

Image credit: Wikipedia

In every general election, people from other countries come to experience the biggest festival of the democracy [election process] which becomes a proud moment for India.

The entire process of polling is done through EVMs [Electronic Voting Machine] in all the constituencies.

Along with the EVMs, in 2019 for the first time in general elections, VVPATs will also be used in all the constituencies.

Image credit: ecisveep

The magnitude in which the voting is carried out also puts a big security threat on EVMs and possibilities of tampering with them also increases.

BUT HAT's OFF TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

Image credit: Wikipedia

The way in which it handles the entire process is really very appreciable. EVMs were firstly introduced in 1982 for in by-elections for Kerala's North Paravur seat and that too in a limited number of polling booths.

In those years, the entire process of polling was done by Ballot papers and their counting process too needed huge manpower which also, in turn, increases possibilities of malpractices.

So to overcome it the EC commissioned EVMs in 1989. Firstly they have experimented in selected constituencies of Rajasthan, Delhi & Madhya Pradesh.

In 1999 assembly elections they were used in the entire state of Goa. By the year 2003, their use was extended in all the State & by-elections.

And finally, the entire 2004 General election was carried out by EVMs.

Since then the security of EVMs has been continuously questioned by several groups of people, independent committees, Political parties, Individuals, etc.

Even in a statement from the EC, they have stated that "the political parties have made EVM a football" and that's absolutely true.

The parties who once won the election in which people voted through EVMs are now questioning the victory of other parties.

In fact, the entire EC body is also questioned that they only serve the ruling party and help them to win the elections.

But EC has answered all the claims against it every time. The EVMs are also proved safe and VVPATs [Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail] are also introduced to increase the bar of transparency of the polling process.

Even though the EC cross-checks a decided % of votes of EVMs with VVPAT slips on several vote counting occasions, they are questioned.

The objective mainly of every political party questioning EVM is to gain political mileage. but the election commission patiently listens to all of them and proves them wrong every time...