Lok Sabha Elections 2024: What is an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)?

Voters using an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) have the opportunity to select the candidate of their choice or mark the NOTA option.

Voting in elections is done using a portable device called an electronic voting machine, EVM in short. The EVM deployed in India is also known as ECI-EVM, which refers to an EVM that is specifically made, manufactured, and used for elections in accordance with election procedures and rules established by the Election Commission of India and recorded in an EVM handbook, setting it apart from EVMs utilised in other nations.

The control unit and the balloting unit are its two divisions. While the balloting unit is kept in the voting compartment so that voters can cast ballots, the presiding officer keeps the control unit.

For the purpose of holding elections for the legislative, the parliament, and local government units like panchayats and municipalities, an electronic voting machine, or EVM, is used.

Benefits of EVM

•  The EVM is a microcontroller-based device that was created to modernise the electoral process.
• It ensures complete confidentiality of voting information, eliminates the possibility of illegitimate votes, and makes counting fast and precise.
• Voting information stored in EVMs can be retrieved and stored for a long time.
• When choosing one candidate from a field of several, the EVM provides a dependable method for conducting the election. One post and one vote are supported by the architecture of the EVM.
• Voters can select the candidate of their choice or mark the NOTA option. If voters do not wish to support any of the candidates, they can use the None of the Above (NOTA) option found on the EVMs.

How to use an EVM?

• - To cast a vote, a voter must push the button next to the candidate of their choice. Once done, a red light will illuminate next to the candidate's name and symbol. Concurrently, a prolonged beep is audible, verifying the polling of a specific vote. - After the voter enters the voting compartment at the booth, a presiding officer will activate the ballot unit. - Voters can select a candidate by pressing the blue button on the ballot unit against their name and symbol. -  A beep sound is heard and a red light will light up next to the chosen candidate's name or symbol.