In order to ensure transparency in the civil polls, the Assam Government has decided to start the use of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in all areas.
About the decision:
This decision was taken under the Assam Election of Commissioners of Municipal Board Amendment Rules, 2021.
About EVM
An Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is an electronic device used for recording votes. EVMs came as a replacement to ballot papers and were first used in No. 70 Parvur assembly constituency in Kerala in 1982.
An EVM comprises a control unit which is placed with the polling officer and a balloting unit which is placed inside the voting compartment.
The polling officer releases a ballot by pressing the ballot button on the control unit. This allows the voter to cast his vote by pressing the blue button on the balloting unit against the candidate and symbol of the voter’s choice.
Electronic Voting is the standard means of conducting elections using Electronic Voting Machines. However in the recently commenced elections in the nation, various opposition parties have alleged faulty EVMs after they failed to defeat the incumbent.
Nevertheless, EVMs and accompanying Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) are now used in every assembly and general election in India and a small percentage of the VVPATs are verified.
