The totaliser technology serves as a crucial link among electronic voting machines (EVMs), enabling the combination of results while concealing booth-wise voting patterns. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) highlighted in March this year the readiness of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in implementing this technology. However, he emphasised the importance of allowing the political system to mature before its introduction. The ECI has been exploring innovative solutions such as remote voting technology, including prototypes for migrant workers and blockchain-enabled remote voting systems. While these advancements demonstrate readiness for technological evolution in the electoral process, the CEC suggests that the timing for introducing such innovations must align with the evolution of the political landscape.
Totaliser Technology
Totaliser is a technology that would allow votes from 14 polling booths to be counted together.
This mechanism was developed by the Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Limited and the Hyderabad-based Electronics Corporation of India Limited. The totaliser interface has the ability to connect to the main control units of 14 EVM cluster. Additionally, it has the technology to count and consolidate the vote count for each candidate by pressing the result button of the totaliser. The totaliser would provide the votes polled for each candidate without disclosing the particular voting booth of the voters. The totaliser has been prepared with the intention of helping migrant workers to cast their votes. The totaliser machine has the capacity to take 72 assembly segments together which is a step towards remote voting through blockchain. Additionally, this would help voters from pre-poll intimidation and post-poll harassment. At present, the votes that are cast through the EVMs are counted on individual booth basis.
Analysis of Vote Counting System in India
The first elections of independent India were held in 1951 and the system of secret paper ballots was also introduced in the same year. In 1961, under Rule 59A of the Code of Conduct Election Rules, it was decided that paper ballots from different booths would be pooled in large containers at the counting centres before the counting of the votes. This would enable secrecy of the ballot and cadres would not be able to ascertain the source of any vote.
The EVM was introduced in Parur Constituency during the mid-term Assembly polls in Kerala in May 1982. Around 50 EVMs were used in that election. After seeing how well they worked, EVMs were used alongside traditional ballot boxes in assembly polls in Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Bihar during the elections of 1982–83.
The proper use of EVMs started in 2008 and since then, the booth level data has been made available on the ECI website. EVMs eliminated the physical mixing of ballots, making it easier to track voting patterns. The EC has been aware of this issue and in 2008, it approached the law ministry with a proposal to amend the Conduct of Election Rules for introducing totaliser machine on the counting day. The rules for running elections were changed in 2013, to make voting transparent and checkable. The conduct of Election Rules, 1961 were amended in 2013 and a new machine called the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) was introduced to show voters a paper record of their vote. As it did not get any response from the law ministry, the EC made several subsequent demands, including a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court in 2014. The EC, in the PIL, had sought for mixing up of votes from different booths. In 2015, the Law Commission, in its report, had further supported the ECs demand. In 2017, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing the use of totaliser in elections. However, the EC and the Law Commission had backed the usage of totaliser, stating that it would even help in voting stations, listing a handful or single voters.
Issue with the Use of EVMs
EVM is considered as the secret ballot as the polling officer could hear only the beep of the EVM after the vote has been registered. It does not indicate the candidate for whom the vote has been cast. When the votes are counted, the EVMs are brought from the polling booths across the constituency to the counting centres, and votes for each party/candidate are counted machine by machine. In this process, the votes for each party and every polling booth could be broken down. Further, this data has always been available on the ECI’s website as ‘Booth Level Data’. Each polling booth would have around 1000–1500 voters approximately. Hence, with the data from each booth, the political parties could easily fetch information of the number of persons who have voted in favour of their party in a particular booth. By discreetly conversing with the electors, the party cadres could get a fair idea of how many voters have switched from their party and who have joined their party. Thus, booth level data could greatly expose and undermine the secrecy of the voter’s ballot.
Moreover, the close proximity of polling booths to voters’ residences facilitates intimidation and manipulation by party workers. “Booth management” strategies involve close monitoring of voters by party cadres, leading to pressure, coercion, and intimidation tactics.
Need of Totaliser Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)
Secrecy of the ballot The current system compromises ballot secrecy, enabling political parties to analyse booth level data and discern voting patterns, potentially leading to intimidation or coercion. Totaliser EVMs address this by mixing votes from multiple EVMs, ensuring the anonymity of individual votes.
Protection against intimidation and coercion Totaliser EVMs offer protection in areas susceptible to harassment and post-election victimisation by obscuring the source of votes. This prevents reprisals against voters, enhancing their confidence in participating freely in the electoral process and provides fair representation of voters’ choice.
Preservation of electoral integrity Totaliser EVMs uphold the principle of the secret ballot, essential for fair elections, by maintaining the confidentiality of each voter’s choice. This reinforces trust in the electoral process and prevents undue influence on voters’ decisions.
Legal and popular support The totaliser technology enjoys widespread backing from various stakeholders, including the Law Commission and political parties such as BSP, Congress, NCP, AAP, and CPI-M. This support underscores the importance of adopting Totaliser EVMs to ensure transparent and fair elections.
Enhanced electoral transparency Mandated by the Supreme Court, the totaliser system provides an overall result rather than booth-wise results, enhancing transparency in the electoral process and promoting accountability and public trust.
Mitigation of intimidation tactics Totaliser mitigates pre-poll intimidation and post-poll reprisals by reducing the ability of parties to target specific groups of voters based on booth-level results. This safeguards voters’ rights and encourages participation.
Streamlined booth management Political parties can devise effective booth-level strategies using demographic data and community leanings even without booth-wise results. Totaliser encourages parties to focus on broader mobilisation efforts rather than targeting specific booths.
Adaptation to changing needs Totaliser reflects a proactive approach to address emerging challenges in elections, demonstrating the willingness to revise election rules and adopt new technologies to uphold democratic principles amidst India’s diverse electorate and evolving electoral landscape.
Acceptance of new technology Despite initial scepticism, the successful introduction of EVMs indicates the potential for totaliser to gain acceptance and positively contribute to the electoral process over time. This underscores the importance of embracing innovation to strengthen democracy.
Scope of Totaliser Machine in India
In 2017, a bench of union ministers was constituted to deliberate on the idea of using a totaliser. The proposal was supported by only three political parties of the six national parties after the EC demonstrated the use of the machine. The ruling party had opposed it on the ground that details of the booth-wise performance of candidates was important for booth management. It further stated that booth-wise performance would help political parties to adhere to the specific needs and concerns of the local voters. In 2018, when the Supreme Court sought a reply from the government regarding the amendment of the Conduct of Election Rules in order to use totaliser for counting of votes by EVMs, the bench, in its reply, stated that it was opposed by every political party during an all-party meeting. The bench further said that it is apprehensive about the possible data breach, in case the totaliser is implemented. The EC has stated that though it supports the totaliser mechanism, the time for its implementation has not yet come. The EC cited a lack of faith in the result of a single machine among the public, indicating a need for further maturity in the political system before introducing the totaliser technology.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the totaliser technology represents a significant advancement in the electoral process, offering solutions to key challenges faced in ensuring fairness, transparency, and integrity in elections. The readiness of the ECI to implement the totaliser technology coupled with ongoing explorations into remote voting technologies, underscores a commitment to adapt to evolving electoral needs. However, the CEC emphasises the importance of aligning the introduction of such innovations with the maturation of the political landscape. As India continues to navigate its democratic journey, embracing innovative technologies like totaliser remains crucial in upholding democratic principles and fostering public trust in the electoral process.
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