Ballot Papers In Indian Elections: Where They Are Still Used, And Why, Pg22

Key Highlights:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently highlighted the use of ballot papers in Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections, contrasting them with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
• Most elections for Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zilla Parishads in India are still conducted using ballot papers.
• A 2023 study by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), sponsored by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, found that 53% of states use ballot papers for gram panchayat elections.
• Elections involving a Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, such as those for Legislative Councils and Rajya Sabha, mandate the use of ballot papers.
• Only three States/Union Territories (Kerala, Sikkim, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu) use EVMs for all gram panchayat constituencies.

Detailed Insights:

• The debate between EVMs and ballot papers resurfaced after the Congress party's performance in recent MLC elections, which are held via ballot papers.
• While 53% of states use ballot papers for gram panchayat elections, 22% are in a transitional phase, using EVMs in some constituencies and ballot papers in others.
• The use of EVMs increases in higher-level panchayat elections, with 17% of states using them in all constituencies for district/zilla panchayat elections.
• States using ballot papers cite lack of funds and awareness as hindrances to adopting EVMs, though the article notes voters are familiar with EVMs from assembly and parliamentary elections.
• Counting ballot papers is described as a cumbersome process requiring significant manpower and being less environmentally friendly.
• State Election Commissions (SECs) have the authority to decide on the use of EVMs or ballot papers for municipal elections.
• The Single Transferable Vote system requires voters to mark preferences (first, second, etc.) on a ballot paper, making it unsuitable for EVMs.
• In the STV system, surplus votes of elected candidates are transferred to the next preferred candidates, and votes of eliminated candidates are also transferred until all seats are filled.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Electronic Voting Machine (EVM): An electronic device used to record votes, designed for faster and more accurate counting, and used in parliamentary and state assembly elections.
• Ballot Paper: A traditional method of voting where voters mark their choice on a paper slip, used in various local body and indirect elections.
• Single Transferable Vote (STV): An electoral system where voters rank candidates by preference, and votes are transferred to ensure proportional representation.
• State Election Commission (SEC): An autonomous constitutional body responsible for conducting elections to local self-government institutions (Panchayats and Municipalities) in states.
• Panchayati Raj Institutions: A three-tier system of local self-governance in rural India, comprising Gram Panchayats (village level), Panchayat Samitis (block level), and Zilla Parishads (district level).