REMOTE EVM - POLITY

News: Election Commission says ready with remote EVM which will enable migrants to vote outside their States

 

What's in the news?

       The Election Commission of India said that it has developed a prototype for a Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine which would enable remote voting by migrant voters.

 

Key takeaways:

       Remote Electronic Voting Machines (RVM) can handle multiple constituencies from a single remote polling booth.

       The ECI said that it has invited all recognized 8 national and 57 State political parties on January 16 to demonstrate the functioning of the multi-constituency prototype Remote EVM and has already shared a concept note with them on legal, operational, administrative and technological challenges.

       Sources in the Election Commission told The Hindu that the idea was to implement voter portability as a pilot project in the upcoming Assembly elections in nine states in 2023.

 

Why Remote EVMs?

       Migration-based disenfranchisement is indeed not an option in the age of technological advancement.

       The voter turnout in General Elections 2019 was 67.4% and the Election Commission of India is concerned about the issue of over 30 crore electors not exercising their franchise and also differential voter turnout in various States/Union Territories.


EC Role:

       The commission said that a concept note has been circulated amongst political parties highlighting the challenges of defining domestic migrants, implementation of Model Code of Conduct, ensuring secrecy of voting, facility of polling agents for identification of voters, process and method of remote voting, and counting of votes amongst other issues.

       Among the laws and rules which would need an amendment to implement remote voting is The Representation of People’s Act of 1950 and 1951, The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

 

Definition of Migrant Voters:

       The definition of migrant voter would also need to be reworked with respect to retaining registration at the original place in the context of the legal construct of “ordinary residence” and “temporary absence”.

       Also, the territorial constituency concept of remote voting and defining remoteness itself that is an outside constituency, outside district or outside state will need to be dealt with.

 

Challenges:

       The administrative challenges includes

       Enumerating remote voters-self declaration.

       Ensuring secrecy of voting at remote locations.

       Number of polling booths to be set up and their locations.

       Implementation of Model Code of Conduct in remote locations.

       Technological challenges would be the method of remote voting.

       The familiarity of the voters with the Multi-Constituency Remote EVM and counting of votes.

       Provision of polling agents at remote voting booths and

       Ensuring identification of voters to avoid impersonation.