On Wednesday (November 25, 2020), a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking guidance from the Election Commission to stop using the electronic voting machine (EVM) and to use ballot paper in the country's forthcoming elections.
The plea alleges that EVMs are vulnerable to error and that many other countries have banned their use because concerns regarding their accuracy have been posed.
Electronic voting machines need to be replaced by conventional ballot papers across India. "Voting through ballot papers is a more reliable and transparent method for any country's electoral process," said the plea, filed by lawyer C R Jaya Sukin.
The plea alleged that during its manufacture, EVMs can be 'tampered' and in such situations, no hacker or malware is even needed to control the actual voting.
“No machine ever made anywhere in the world is infallible,” the plea said.
In the past, concerns about EVMs have been raised and the Election Commission has maintained that EVMs are safe and tamper-proof.
