India: The Hindu : States / Tamil Nadu : Each reading on EVMs will be videographed: CEO

Praveen Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer addressing a press conference in Chennai on Wednesday. Photo: S.R. RaghunathanEach reading on electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the 91 counting centres will be captured on video and votes polled entered both manually and using computers, to avoid discrepancies in the counting of votes for the 234 assembly constituencies on May 13, said Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar on Wednesday.

After All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Jayalalithaa wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner on the need to allow counting agents to monitor data entries in Form 20, the CEO, at a press conference, said that data entry operators were directly being monitored by the returning officers as they usually sat near them in counting halls. Even if they were sitting across the hall, the tally of votes would have to match the data entered manually and using computers.

India: Electronic Voting Machine ‘Manipulation’ Issue raised with Election Commission | news.outlookindia.com

Alleging a regular racket involved in attempts to manipulate Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), CPI(M) today sought urgent intervention of the Election Commission to stop such instances.

“There is a regular racket (rigging of EVMs) happening in every elections. It happened in Bihar also. People are coming and offering packages to candidates saying that you pay so much and we would ensure victory,” CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi here.

India: India: The Concept of Negative Voting |The Sentinel

The reality of today’s electoral democracy is that in many constituencies the voters are discontented with the candidates in the electoral fray. Hence the demand for negative voting. In India, the largest democracy in the world, it is not only expected of the voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote, but it is also their ardent duty. And even though voting is not yet mandatory, the Election Commission of India on its part pro-actively informs all the voters to cast their vote by giving wide publicity towards this end. After all, every vote counts.

But if the voters decide that none of the candidates is worth their vote, what is the way out? In the case where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are in use, The Conduct of Elections Rule, 1961, does provide a voter the option to refuse to vote after he has been identified and necessary entries made in the register of electors and in the marked copy of the electoral roll.

Egypt: India to provide EVMs to Egypt | Hindustan Times

There may be lot of debate in India over efficacy of the Electronic Voting Machines but Egypt, which is holding elections after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, is willing to try the “wonder machine — the EVMs” — in the country wide polls later this year. Egypt will not be the first country to use Indian

EVMs. They have been successfully deployed in Afghanistan general elections. The Election Commission has also provided inputs to Nepal, Bhutan, Ethopia and Mexico on use of EVMs in making the election process more fair and transparent.

India: Web cameras will keep an eye on May 13 counting | The Times of India

In a bid to ensure fair and free counting on May 13, the Election Commission, for the first time, will instal high resolution web cameras over each counting table to capture images of the counting process including the final figures that will appear in the electronic voting machines.

Chief electoral officer Praveen Kumar said web cameras would be used in the counting centres across the state. “We will be installing web cameras over each table where counting takes place”, he told TOI. There are 234 counting centres across the state, including three in Chennai.

Egypt: Chief Election Commissioner of India visits Egypt | IBN Live News

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, is visiting Egypt to apprise the top officials in the country about the electoral system in India and the usage of EVMs, as it prepares itself for democratic process after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak regime.

Quraishi is accompanied by a 5-member team from the Election Commission of India which is on a five day visit to Egypt from today. The visit ends on April 23. Egypt’s military rulers had last month announced an interim constitution and said presidential elections would be held by November after Mubarak was ousted in a popular revolution.

India: India Election Commission gives in on paper-trails in Electronic Voting Machines? | Real Time News India

After coming under fire from transparency activists, including Anna Hazare, the Election Commission of India seems to have given in to the demand for paper-backed election instead of purely electronic recording of votes.

The Election Commission had come under fire after Hari Prasad, an activist was arrested for securing an EVM from Mumbai in his efforts to prove that the machines can be compromised.

India: India Election Commission seeks roadmap for Electronic Voting Machines with printers | Hindustan Times

An Election Commission committee on Friday asked Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manufacturers the time-frame within which the machines can be upgraded as per its suggestions. The high level technical committee has suggested some up-gradations including installing a small printer in EVMs as reported by HT on Friday, to give out receipts for every vote cast.

The idea is to have a record of all the votes that can be verified. The voter, however, will not get the receipt as the commission believes it could be traded. The concept is called paper trail of votes cast.

India: Hack state’s e-voting system, get Rs 10 lakh | Hindustan Times

If you are an ethical hacker, then the state Election Commission is looking for you. As it aims to introduce e-voting in the upcoming civic elections in Mumbai next year, officials wary of independent agencies embarrassing them have now decided to offer Rs 10 lakh to anyone who can hack their e-voting system.

The SEC is all set to float tenders to invite consultants, and one of the conditions is that hackers be ethical and have a demo to hack the software. This comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s decision to introduce EVMs drew a lot of flak.

India: Electronic Voting Machines on the blink, voters made to wait in India | The Times of India

Voters might have turned out in full force across the city but electronic voting machines (EVMs) at many polling booths failed to match up to the electorate’s eagerness.

Many EVMs failed to work in the morning leading to confusion and anger among voters. At Shri Krishnaswamy College for Women in Anna Nagar, several voters, who had turned up early in the morning, returned without voting because the machines were not working.

India: Poll panel to mix up Electronic Voting Machines during counting | The Times of India

For the first time, the Election Commission is considering mixing up the electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the counting so that counting agents will not be able to identify which constituency a particular EVM belongs to.

The EC is trying to remove any fears people may have about voting as some political parties have allegedly threatened voters that they can find out who they have voted for during counting.

India: Men, donkeys at work to carry Electronic Voting Machines to booths | Times Of India

Our election process has gone hitech with electronic voting machines, but some areas in Tamil Nadu are so backward that these new-age machines have to be taken on the back of donkeys or carried on head by men.

In a few villages devoid of motorable roads in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, EVMs were transported on Monday and Tuesday on the back of donkeys. In several hilly hamlets in Salem, headload workers assisted polling officials by carrying EVMs and other polling materials through the tough terrain.

India: 11 km trek up to Bengal’s highest polling booth | sify.com

Election officials have to trek 11 km up the Himalayan range over two days to reach West Bengal’s highest polling station — located at Sirikhola, 2,800 metres above sea level. The Sirikhola primary school polling booth, 99 km from this hill resort, has 778 voters mainly from the Gotkha community.

On foot, it is 11 km trek northwest of Darjeeling town. Part of the Darjeeling assembly constituency, it goes to the polls April 18. The area has neither electricity nor piped water, officials said. Elections are the only time the residents of Sirikhola see the official machinery in strength. Apart from electronic voting machines (EVM), the officials will carry torches, battery chargers, portable generators, candles and lanterns.

India: India: Security cameras to man counting centres post-voting| Times of India

With the counting of votes slated for May 13, a month after the state goes to poll, the district election office has decided to install web cameras in the counting centres.

The 234 strong rooms, where electronic voting machines (EVMs) are stored, will be monitored live for a month via camera till counting of votes starts. In Chennai, the strong rooms at Loyola College in Nungambakkam, Queen Mary’s College for Women off Marina and Anna University will be under video surveillance.

Egypt: Egypt envoy seeks India’s help in conducting polls | The Times of India

Egypt’s ambassador to India Khaled el Bakly met chief election commissioner (CEC) S Y Quraishi recently, seeking assistance in conducting elections after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. Parliamentary elections will be held in Egypt in September, followed by presidential polls in November.

During the meeting with Quraishi, Bakly wanted to know about various aspects of election management and electronic voting machines (EVMs). “He asked how fast we can provide EVMs in case they decide to use them,” said a senior election commission (EC) official.  The EC has sent Bakly documents on skills, experience and technical know-how in conducting elections in India.

India: India: Shiv Sena opposes Electronic Voting Machines and e-voting system

Shiv Sena would oppose the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and e-voting system during upcoming polls in 10 municipal corporations and 167 municipal councils in Maharashtra. A delegation of Sena leaders today met state election commissioner Neela Satyanarayan submitting a memorandum opposing use of EVMs and e-voting in the polls.

The commission had earlier said that it will set up a committee before introducing the e-voting system. “The EVMs create confusion in the whole voting process and among voters.

India: Assam Electronic Voting Machines get Braille facility | The Telegraph Calcutta

The visually impaired in Assam will literally feel their right to franchise with their fingers, with the Election Commission arranging for Braille-inscribed electronic voting machines for this year’s Assembly elections.

Earlier, the visually challenged voters used to cast their votes guided by an escort to the press the right button on the EVM. But this time, the voter can directly press the button of his choice on the EVM by identifying the serial number that will be inscribed beside each button. A Braille voter can walk to the machine by himself, unaccompanied by any escort to cast his vote.