As election preparations pick up, the EC has completed a key step in assigning voting machines – a process designed to keep polling fair and free from manipulation.
File Photo: IANS
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed the first round of randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.
But what exactly does “randomisation” mean, and why is it significant?
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EVM randomisation is a process designed to ensure that no one knows in advance which machine will be used at which polling booth. The idea is simple: remove any scope for human interference and make the system tamper-proof.
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The process happens in two stages using specialised software.
First, machines are randomly assigned from district warehouses to different Assembly constituencies. Then, in the second stage, they are again randomly allocated from constituencies to individual polling stations.
Because this allocation keeps changing and is done through a system, it becomes nearly impossible to predict where a particular machine will be deployed. Political party representatives are present during the process to maintain transparency.
According to the ECI, the first stage of this process has now been completed by District Election Officers across all poll-bound regions, but only after the machines cleared the mandatory First Level Checking (FLC).
The exercise was carried out through the EVM Management System (EMS) in the presence of representatives from recognised political parties.
Lists of the machines allocated in this round have already been shared with party representatives at the district level.
The ECI said the machines will now be stored in designated strong rooms under supervision.
Once the final list of candidates is ready, details of both stages of randomisation will be shared with all contesting candidates to ensure full transparency.
The same process has also been completed for bypolls in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura, where voting is scheduled for April 9.
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