INDIA GREENS PARTY
Press Release
Issued at New Delhi on 1 July 2024
The India Greens Party (iGP) today called upon the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Government of India to discontinue the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the future elections in the context of increasing concerns about the transparency and reliability of the EVMs.
In a petition emailed to the Chief Election Commissioner of the ECI today, the party said there have been growing apprehensions expressed by both national and international observers, including prominent personalities like Elon Musk, and serious allegations of manipulation levelled by the opposition parties in the recent parliamentary elections.
It said the EVMs, like any electronic device, are vulnerable to tampering and hacking. In
spite of repeated assurances of their security, various experts have pointed out potential
vulnerabilities that could be exploited to manipulate election results.
For example, in 2019, cybersecurity experts demonstrated many methods through which
EVMs could be hacked, raising questions about the trustworthiness of these machines. In the
2024 Lok Sabha election, the controversy about the narrow victory margin of the Mumbai
North West constituency has highlighted the danger of EVM tampering, and has led to a legal
challenge. The India Greens Party candidate there, Ms. Sarika Dabral, has been an eyewitness
to the suspicious happenings during the vote count there.
It is understanding of the party that the EVMs do not allow a foolproof and transparent
verification of votes. The lack of a verifiable paper trail makes it extremely difficult to audit
results and confirm the accuracy of vote counts.
In 2017, several political parties in India demanded the use of Voter Verified Paper Audit
Trail (VVPAT) with EVMs. However, discrepancies between EVM and VVPAT counts in
certain cases have further fuelled suspicion. Troublesome reports of EVM malfunctions and
glitches have been rampant. Instances of machines mistakenly recording votes have
irreversibly undermined public confidence in the electoral process itself. During the 2019
parliamentary elections, there were numerous reports across various states where voters had
alleged that their votes were not recorded for the candidates they had intended to vote for.
Considering these issues that can no longer be ignored, it is important to start thinking of
alternative voting methods that enhance reliability, transparency, and public confidence in the
electoral procedures.
Paper ballots provide a tangible record of votes that can be independently verified and
audited. A return to paper ballots would definitely help to build up eroding public confidence
in the transparency of the election process. Also, with the widespread presence of mobile
phone cameras, old-style booth capturing of the bygone ballot paper era is unlikely to happen
now.
Countries like Germany and many more have already abandoned EVMs in favour of paper
ballots for ensuring election integrity.
Until a gradual transition away from EVMs is completely implemented, it is crucial to initiate
comprehensive and transparent audits of electronic votes to verify their accuracy. Many
advanced democracies regularly conduct post-election audits to ensure the integrity of the
voting process.
The India Greens Party reiterates that the foundation of a democracy lies in the trust of its
citizens in the electoral process. The continuous concerns and reported problems surrounding
EVMs cannot be ignored anymore. In order to preserve democratic integrity and also
ascertain that every vote is counted accurately and transparently, the India Greens Party
strongly demands the cessation of EVM use in Indian elections and advocates for the return
to paper ballots or other verifiable voting methods, at least, in a phased manner, if not
immediately.
India must take decisive steps to restore the weakening public faith in its electoral process,
and the discontinuation of the EVMs is a necessary measure to attain this aim.
- Issued by Suresh Nautiyal, Chief Spokesperson
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(India Greens Party is registered with the Election Commission of India under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act,
Registration Number: 56/476/2018-19/PPS-I, effective from 18/07/2019.)
National Head Office: GreenDham AnandiChait, IndraBalbhadra Parisar, Unchir-Dunktok, SH-31, PO-Ghurdauri, Distt-Pauri
Garhwal, Uttarakhand, INDIA. PIN-246194.
Email: contact@indiagreensparty.org Website: https://indiagreensparty.org
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